Kidnapped to Another World By My Rival's Gay Doppelgänger?

by LMeg9.20

When Snake assassinated the Thief King's son-in-law-to-be, he hadn't expected the bereaved princeling to claim his birthright early. To quell the new Phantom's wrath, he kidnaps the Shinichi of another world just as he's about to enjoy his class Kyoto trip. Meanwhile, at Akako's urging, Kaito must rescue the mysterious 'Demon of Light' before cosmic balance is completely destroyed

Prologue

Prince Kaito stood in front of the floor length mirror, doing one last final check of his appearance. He wore his newly tailored white suit. It was supposed to be his wedding outfit; now it would be for mourning. But he wanted to wear it for his beloved at least once; it was just a shame his fiancé would never get to see him in it.

A quick rap of knuckles at his chambers. "Your Highness!"

He felt his magic spark around him in anger. He'd told his servants he wasn't to be disturbed. He took a couple calming breaths, forcibly reigning in his erratic magic. He couldn't lose his temper.

Not again.

His servants never went against his instructions without good reason, so it must be important.

'And if it isn't…'

He pushed the thought away before he could finish it. "Enter," he commanded.

"Y-your Highness, it's an emergency. T-the deceased, he…"

The prince turned and was on the man so fast, the servant hadn't even seen him move. "What is it? What of my Shinichi?" The air around them seemed electrified and small objects began to levitate.

The servant gulped audibly before answering. "The body of Prince Shinichi has been stolen by Snake."

The previously levitating objects dropped like a stone. Everything suddenly became very still; you could have heard a pin drop. Prince Kaito spoke lowly, but in the sudden stillness, it might as well have been a shout. "I don't care what it takes. Find him."

Then the prince's power exploded.

0-0-0-0-0

"B-boss! Our spies report that the prince has discovered our location again! He's on his way!"

Snake slammed his fist on the table in front of him. "That damn princeling! It's been nearly six months, why won't he just give up already? Have the men move it to our next location," he ordered.

"Y-yes, boss!" The henchman stammered before running off.

Snake began unceremoniously shoving the scrolls and papers on the desk into a bag. He couldn't let any evidence of what they were trying to accomplish be found. It wouldn't do for the little princeling to figure out what he was up to.

He let loose a string of curses under his breath. They were so close. The comet was to pass by the end of the month. But that damn prince was getting faster and faster and finding them, and they had to take care each time they moved it for fear of causing damage and wasting all his hard work. And what if the prince found them while the ritual was at its apex? He could ruin everything.

He needed something that could serve as a distraction. Snake stroked his mustache in thought. Rumor had it the princeling had injured his very own father, the king, in order to take control of the kingdom, giving him full power to search for Snake and his men as he pleased. But Snake knew the spoiled brat had ulterior motives for making early claims to his birthright. Snake had found King Toichi's secret: he wasn't the benevolent king he claimed to be, he was also Phantom KID, the King of Thieves.

Phantom KID had been a thorn in Snake's side for far too long, always thwarting his plans. So when he'd discovered the ritual would require the elimination of the king's son-in-law-to-be, he'd jumped at the chance to extract a little bit of revenge against his arch nemesis. He hadn't known it would cause the spoiled brat to throw such a temper tantrum. Prince Kaito claiming the title of King of Thieves from his father in addition to rule of the kingdom brought him power. Not just by way of giving him command of his subordinates and all his resources, the title also literally gave him power.

But it seemed it was too much power for the brat. Snake's spies reported that the princeling had trouble controlling his magic. This had caused him to imprison the Red Witch, likely so that he could seek her counsel.

A plan began to form in Snake's mind.

0-0-0-0-0

Snake unlocked the guest chamber door with the key he'd taken off the body of the guard. He dared not use magic; he didn't trust that the guest manor was far enough from the palace to avoid detection.

He opened the door, and his eyes immediately fell on the young woman who was seated and daintily sipping tea, as if she had expected him.

Akako sneered. "A particularly disgusting vermin seems to have found its way into my room."

Snake looked at her coldly. "I don't like you either, witch, but I have freed you, so now you owe me a favor."

"Freed me?" she threw her head back and let out a shrill laugh that sent shivers down Snake's spine, "It's adorable that you thought I was trapped here."

Snake held up the key mockingly. "You can talk as big as you want, but you were locked in here."

Akako gave a small shrug. "The door was locked, but that was never a hindrance for me. I am here of my own volition. The fates have told me that there is soon to be an upset in the balance, and I have come to observe how the balance plans to right itself."Comment by Valerie Burk: i like this line! 1 total reaction Megan H reacted with at 2024-06-13 20:27 PM

Snake pulled a short sword from his belt and pointed it at her. "If you will not help me willingly, I will be happy to provide some encouragement. You will summon another Prince Shinichi to distract that Phantom Brat."

"Summon another Shinichi?" She paused with her teacup raised and looked at him curiously. "Interesting." She took a final sip before setting her cup down and standing.

Snake took a step back, only now beginning to realize what he'd freed. The witch wasn't an especially tall woman, but her presence still seemed to tower over him. He lowered his blade, but still kept it pointed at her, ready to use at a moment's notice. "Does that mean you'll do it?"

She gave him a smile that had his skin crawling. "But of course I will. I am under duress, after all. Now, let's get started."Comment by null: 1 total reaction Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-13 18:57 PM

0-0-0-0-0 Chapter 1

Conan stared at the small capsule in his palm solemnly. Part of him still couldn't believe Haibara had agreed to let him go on his school's Kyoto trip, but he was glad she had. He'd been Conan for so long, he was missing out on more and more of his high school life, many of those moments being what should have been precious memories which he wouldn't have a chance to make up again later in life. He didn't want to add the Kyoto trip on top of that. Sure, he could always take a trip on his own to Kyoto, but it wasn't the same as doing it with his classmates. He just didn't want to add yet another item to the growing list of things he'd missed out on because of Conan. There was, of course, another reason he wanted to go.

His confession to Ran in London.

He was hoping that she would finally give him a response, and what location could be more perfect than beautiful Kyoto?

Are you sure you really want to hear the answer to your confession?

He shook his head, trying to clear the thought away. Of course he wanted to hear it! This was all Haibara's fault. Before she'd given him the antidote, she'd said some strange stuff, putting weird thoughts in his head.

' I'm surprised you're so eager to hear an answer to your confession," she'd said.

'Of course I'm eager! I'm in love with her, and I want to know if she feels the same way!'

She'd stared at him for a moment quietly before asking softly, 'Are you still?'

'What?'

'Are you sure you're still in love with her? Things change. People change. You've been living with her for a year now as her little brother. Are you sure your feelings for her haven't changed?'

'They haven't,' he'd stated firmly.

Haibara had continued looking at him, searching his eyes for something. He'd stared back at her defiantly. 'You know it's okay if they have, right? I know you feel guilty for making her wait for you, but—'

'They. Haven't.'

She'd sighed and looked away in defeat. 'Have it your way. I tried to help, but if you're too stubborn to even listen, it's something you'll have to figure out on your own. Fine, I'll give you some temporary antidotes so you can go on the trip, but you have to follow three of my rules. First, after the antidote wears off, you must wait 8 hours before taking the next one. Second…'

He pushed the conversation from his mind. Haibara didn't know what she was talking about. Of course he loved Ran. He'd always loved Ran. Things had become such a mess for him ever since he'd been shrunk, but he'd always kept his eye on his goal of returning back to her side. If he didn't have that goal…

But it didn't matter. Because he loved Ran, and he was sure that she loved him too. She'd said so herself to him as Conan!

He closed his fist around the capsule in his palm. He'd take the antidote, go on this trip, have a blast with his classmates, hear Ran's answer, and they would officially become boyfriend and girlfriend.

He was sure the sick feeling in his stomach was just nerves.

0-0-0-0-0

"Come on, I'll take a romantic photo of you two," Sonoko said with a teasing look on her face.

"Let's take one of all of us!" Ran suggested with a placating smile.

"Nope!" Sonoko denied, "And feel free to share a passionate kiss with your husband."

The young heiress took advantage of her friend's surprise to give her a little push, causing her to stumble. Shinichi caught and steadied her, and used it as an excuse to hold her body against him.

This is what he was supposed to do as someone who was in love, right?

Shouldn't his heart be racing right now?Comment by Valerie Burk: this makes me laugh because he looks SO UNINTERESTED in this scene in canon

This was all Haibara's fault; she'd filled his head with nonsense. He frowned, feeling dissatisfied that he couldn't enjoy himself the way he'd planned.

He looked down at his crush, noting that she was blushing, but she also looked uncomfortable.

Perhaps she also is no longer in love with you.

' Shut. Up.' He told himself.

Like Haibara said, things change. People change. That would go for Ran as well.

He nudged Ran away from him, not wanting to think about this anymore. She gave him a strange look. He couldn't tell if she was concerned or hurt by his actions. "You shouldn't get too close to me. I told you I have a cold," he explained before coughing into his fist a couple times to prove his point.

"Are you feeling alright? I brought some cold medicine," Ran offered.

"I'm fine, the professor already gave me some," Shinichi answered. Maybe if he had some space, he could clear his head a little bit. "But I've coughed all over my hands now. I'm going to go ask our teacher if she has any hand sanitizer."

Ran nodded, "Okay, come find us whenever you're done."

A year ago, she would have offered to come with you.

He shook the thoughts from his head and went off in search of somewhere that he could be alone for a minute. He made his way around to the other side of the Kiyomizu-dera temple. This side of the temple was much quieter, being the furthest away from the veranda where everyone wanted to pose for a souvenir photo. A staff member looked at him suspiciously, probably trying to gauge if he was attempting to enter part of the temple tourists weren't allowed in. He leaned against the wooden railing circling the temple and took out his phone, pretending to be a bored teenager that was just checking his messages. The staff member lost interest in him and continued his patrol.

Suddenly, it felt like a hand gripped his shoulder from behind, and gave a little tug. He no longer felt the pressure of the railing he was leaning against, and instead felt a sense of weightlessness. He realized he was falling. He twisted in mid-air, and saw to his shock that he was falling through what looked like a tunnel of rainbow light.

His eyes widened and his arms stretched out searching, but there was nothing for him to hold on to. Had he fallen over the railing and hit his head? Was he dead and passing onto the afterlife? He could do nothing as he fell and hoped that, if he wasn't dead, the fall didn't kill him.

Suddenly he heard what sounded like voices rushing past him.

"We have to close the portal, quick!"

"Your Highness, something is coming through from the other side!"

"We are too late to stop it. Everyone, brace yourself for whatever comes through!"

Shinichi couldn't see anything except the rainbow of colored lights. He tried to call out for help, but his voice was carried away from him by the wind. Suddenly, he could see something at the end of the tunnel: the ground was rushing up to greet him.

Shinichi squeezed his eyes shut.

And then it no longer felt like he was falling, but rather was floating. He felt a pressure on his legs as they folded in a kneeling position on the ground, then as the rest of his weight settled from the strange weightless floating, he felt himself fall back onto his bottom.

His eyes flew open.

The first thing he noticed was that he was no longer at the Kiyomizu-dera. In fact, he now seemed to be indoors within some sort of grand stone building. Large windows allowed in plenty of light, illuminating every corner of the room. The room appeared to be some sort of library, and was well furnished with plenty of heavy wooden desks and an assortment of lounging sofas and chairs. An obscenely large fireplace was burning brightly against one of the walls.

He heard a low murmur of voices, and his eyes moved from cataloging the room and exits to looking at the occupants, who had up to this point been unmoving. The first thing he noticed was their strange choice in clothing. ' Are they in cosplay?' He wondered if he had fallen onto some sort of elaborate set for a Shakepearean production.

His eyes landed on one figure in particular, and his breath caught in shock. Even though his get-up was different, he would know that man anywhere.

Kaitou KID.

Although it looked like KID was following along with the cosplay motif, he must have missed the memo about the theme. KID's own outfit looked like a cross between his normal white suit, and The Legend of Zorro. He even was missing his usual monocle, having traded it in for a black mask.

His eyes caught the thief's, and KID gasped. He was across the room in a heartbeat, kneeling before the detective.

"Shinichi, my beloved," he said, barely above a whisper. His hand came up to cup Shinichi's cheek tenderly.

Shinichi felt his face heat. He opened his mouth to demand answers.

KID leaned down and closed the distance between them, capturing Shinichi's lips in a ment by Valerie Burk: awwwkkwaaaaarrrrddddd poor shinichi lol

0-0-0-0-0

Kaito sat at his desk reading the paper while waiting for the teacher to come in and start class. He'd already checked for any potential Pandora candidates and, finding none, had moved on to the sudoku puzzles. He always read the newspaper cover to cover, just as a precaution; he couldn't risk anyone noticing him only reading the stories about jewel exhibits.

"Kuroba-kun."

He didn't look up from his puzzle. "Sorry, Akako. Whatever it is, I'm afraid that as you can see, I'm incredibly busy," he said while writing in a '9' into one of the ment by null: 2 total reactions Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-18 22:59 PM Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-18 22:59 PM

"You might want to listen to what I have to say, Kuroba-kun. It concerns the Demon of Light."

Kaito's ears perked up, but he was careful to keep his face neutral. She only used that name in reference to Tantei-kun. He gave her a quizzical look. "Demon of Light? You know there's no such thing as demons. Wait, hold on. Don't you call that kid who sometimes appears in the newspapers by that name? The one with the glasses? What was his name again?" Kaito looked up as if he was searching his memory, "Ah! Edogawa-kun, right? The media calls him the KID Killer."

Akako didn't look amused. "The balance between light and dark has been swinging to the side of the crows; only the Demon of Light is capable of restoring that balance. But today he will be taken by the mirror. Lucifer has told me that if he is not recovered, the dark shall triumph and any chance of restoring cosmic equilibrium shall be completely destroyed. Hope lies with the Kaitou KID, who is the only one capable of saving the Demon of Light."

Kaito raised a brow, then let out a loud yawn. "I have no idea what any of that is supposed to mean, or what it has to do with me. I've told you before that I'm not KID. Why don't you go tell Aoko your weird riddles?" He made a show of turning back to his newspaper.

Akako looked like she wanted to say more, but at that moment the teacher entered, forcing her to take her seat.

Kaito chewed his pen in thought. What did she mean by Tantei-kun getting taken and needing saving? Was he in some kind of trouble? Well, a better question would probably be when wasn't Tantei-kun in trouble. But today should actually be one of his rare days of respite. According to his spy doves, Tantei-kun's older sister was going to Kyoto today with the rest of her class. That probably meant Conan would stay at that strange professor's house until her return, meaning not tagging along to cases with that drunk detective.

Still, he couldn't help but feel a little worried. He could always send his doves back out to check on the tiny detective. He should be in class at this time. If he sent his doves now, they would likely arrive by 2nd period, giving him a chance to monitor the cams during class. Lunch period was too risky, Aoko would notice if he was looking at his phone too much. It would be best to do it now. He just couldn't let Akako see. If she was up to something, it would be best if he pretended not to care.

"Sensei! I need to use the restroom!" Kaito interrupted with a raised hand.

The teacher sighed, but it seemed rather in relief than frustration. Probably just happy he had interrupted with a bathroom break request rather than a prank. "Fine, just next time try to go before class or during your break."

Kaito laughed as if he was embarrassed and exited the classroom. As soon as the door had closed behind, he went to one of the windows in the hallway and opened it. He gave a low whistle; Heart, one of his doves, crept out of his sleeve and ruffled her feathers.

"Would you mind checking on our chibi detective for me?"Comment by null: 1 total reaction Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-19 13:43 PM

The dove gave a little coo. He stroked behind her wings a couple times before he brought his hand with her perched on it to the open window. He threw his hand up in the air, and she spread her wings and took flight.

He watched her until she was no longer in view, then returned back to class.

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi's eyes widened. A small part of him noted that KID was a very good kisser. The rest of him was wondering what the hell was going on.

Suddenly he was shoved away from KID, (and why hadn't he done that himself?) and he froze when he felt the point of a blade held to his throat, hard enough so that he could feel the pressure but not so hard that it broke skin.

"Don't move, imposter," said a voice he thought he recognized, but couldn't readily place.

"Hakuba, what do you think you're doing to my fiancé?" KID demanded.

'Did he just say fiancé?' Shinichi felt like his head was spinning. And what was Hakuba doing here? Wasn't he still in London?

"Your Highness, this is a trick of some kind. You know as well as I do that Prince Shinichi is dead. This is a fake."

Shinichi's eyes widened.

KID growled. "Release him, Hakuba," he commanded. When the knife wasn't removed from Shinichi's neck, KID spoke in a dangerously low voice, "Would you betray me now? You, who has always been my most loyal guard?"

Shinichi could hear the frustration in Hakuba's voice, though their hand remained steady. "It is precisely because of my loyalty that I do this! I am only trying to protect you!"

"Release him before I make you," KID said coldly. He raised one hand, and Shinichi's eyes widened when he saw what looked like sparks of electricity coming from his hand. Shinichi stared, trying to figure out the trick, but his mind unable to come up with an answer.

That brought Hakuba up short. "You would threaten me for performing my sworn duty to aid and defend you?"

KID didn't answer immediately. "There are ways to force you to release him without harming you. I could teleport you leagues away. How can you protect me if you aren't even here?"

Hakuba made a frustrated noise. "Let the record show that I am vehemently against this."

"Yes, yes, noted—"

As soon as the dagger was pulled from his throat, Shinichi sprang up and ran, heading for the door that he'd previously clocked to be the most likely exit. Surprise was on his side, and he'd always been fast after years spent on the soccer field, allowing him to make it through the door before anyone had a chance to stop him.

He continued to run, taking random lefts and rights down long hallways. ' Am I dreaming? I was just at the shrine in Kyoto, so how did I get here? What is KID doing here and why did he say all of those bizarre hings?'

He didn't know where he was going, but until he figured out what was going on, he probably shouldn't hang around with people who held knives to his throat. 'And to think, the few times I've met Hakuba as Conan, I always thought he seemed like a nice enough guy,' Shinichi thought sardonically.

He needed answers, and he needed to form a plan. He turned another left, but hearing the sound of running steps, he doubled back. He picked the nearest door and flung it open, before throwing himself into the room. He shut the door behind him quietly, and leaned his ear against the wood, listening closely. He heard the footsteps run past, not even pausing to check the door. Whoever it was must not have spotted him. He breathed a sigh of relief.

' Why did they call me Prince Shinichi, and why did they say I was dead?'

He turned around to examine the room he'd taken refuge in, and saw that it seemed to be a music room. The room was spacious, with multiple instrument cases and music stands in different locations, including a grand piano near the windows. Everything had a layer of dust over it. He spotted a violin case in the corner opposite the piano, his feet turning towards it automatically. This spot seemed to be the most loved in the room. A comfortable looking chair sat in front of the violin case and its accompanying music stand, the cushion looked well worn, as if someone had sat there for hours listening to the violinist. As he approached, he noticed a large painting on the wall. He drew closer to inspect it, and his eyes widened.

'No way. That's… me?'

He was wearing very fine clothes with a circlet crown on his head. Even more strange was that he wasn't alone in the portrait. A handsome young man was standing with him. The man was about his height and looked similar to him at a glance, though closer study showed subtle differences in their appearance, the most obvious being his indigo colored eyes. There was something familiar about him. Strangest yet was the man's arm around Shinichi's shoulder, and the Shinichi in the portrait didn't look terribly unhappy about it. In fact, he seemed to be leaning into it.

"Father had that portrait commissioned for us after you agreed to marry me, remember?"

Shinichi jumped and turned around, seeing KID stroll into the room, his steps not making a sound.

"I thought you might come here. This was always one of your favorite rooms, second only to the library," KID told him while continuing to approach him.

"KID, what's going on?" Shinichi asked.

"KID?" KID tilted his head in confusion, before a look of comprehension dawned, "Ah, this regalia. I discovered one of my father's secrets. He was the King of Thieves, Phantom KID. After Snake took you from me, I decided my father's reign had gone on long enough, and I took the title from him. But none of that matters now that you're back."

He was suddenly pulled into KID's arms. He felt his face heat. Since the first time they'd met, KID had intrigued him. He'd even come to admire him, not that he'd ever admit it. Each time he'd gone up against the thief, only for him to get away, his fascination had grown. Not many could match wits against him, and fewer still were people as interesting as Kaitou KID. He was a criminal, yes, but a harmless one. Sometimes, when he was alone, he privately wondered what it might be like if he befriended the thief. Now said thief was hugging the daylights out of him. "KID, wha…"

KID pulled away and frowned at him. "Just because I'm wearing the suit doesn't mean you have to call me that. Call me Kaito, like normal."

Shinichi stiffened in surprise. KID had just given him his name, and that portrait behind him had shown his face. He put his hands on KID's shoulders and pushed him away, putting distance between ment by Valerie Burk: not to mention that now he also has confirmation that his father was the original KID

"Look, I don't know what's going on or how I got here. I still haven't ruled out that this is all a very wild and elaborate dream. But there seems to be some kind of mistake. I am not a prince, and I am definitely not engaged."

KID's frown deepened, looking a mix of saddened and concerned. He took Shinichi's hands off his shoulders and held them in both of his own, retaking that step to close the distance between them again. "Have you lost your memories? I bet this must be Snake's fault. It probably happened when he tried to kil— when he tried to take you from me."

Shinichi felt his cheeks grow warm again. Ah, what was wrong with him today? He'd spent too much time as Conan if a bit of hand holding with romantic intent was enough to make him blush. 'Think of Ran, think of Ran.'

KID smiled mischievously. "If you don't remember, I'll just have to jog your memories for you," KID said before he moved in for a kiss.

Shinichi's face felt like it was on fire. He scowled and put his hands on KID's chest, preventing him from getting closer. "Wait! Uh, maybe we should first try answering some my questions." If KID couldn't be convinced that he wasn't this Prince Shinichi, maybe he should just go along with it for now so he could get some answers.

KID's grin sharpened. "A compromise: for every question I answer, I get to kiss you somewhere on your body. Think of it as increasing our efforts to help you remember."Comment by null: 4 total reactions Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-19 14:45 PM Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-19 14:46 PM Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-19 14:45 PM Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-19 14:45 PM

"Absolutely not," Shinichi deadpanned.

KID threw his head back and laughed. "I always love it when you play hard to get. It always makes the chase so much more fun, and it's all the sweeter when you finally allow yourself to be caught."

Shinichi cleared his throat, before asking, "Where am I?"Comment by Valerie Burk: he's like, "Ok, I am _NOT_ unpacking _THAT_ right now." 2 total reactions Megan H reacted with at 2024-06-20 19:12 PM Megan H reacted with at 2024-06-20 19:12 PM

"Specifically? You are in the music room of the west wing. If you want more broadly, you are in my castle, which is of course located in the Clover Kingdom," KID answered, with an easy smile on his face.

'The Clover Kingdom…am I still even in Japan? I guess I must be, since everyone is speaking Japanese.' he wondered as he added another point to the dream theory. That or everyone around him had somehow gone insane.

"How did I get here?"

KID's smile wilted, and his expression suddenly looked grave. "We aren't actually sure. All this time, we thought you were dead. I saw Snake's black sword pierce your chest. I held your lifeless body in my arms."

Shinichi suddenly felt a deep sympathy for the other man. He'd worked enough cases that he had seen more than a fair share of people holding the bodies of loved ones, victims of murders and those survived by them. They'd always looked so broken. He didn't want to think about KID, whose heists brought smiles to thousands of fans, with that same devastated look.

"I'm sorry, that must have been awful," he said, voice full of compassion.

"More than you can imagine," KID answered, smile strained. He closed his eyes and seemed to be centering himself. When he reopened them he gave Shinichi a charming grin. "But the gods have reunited us, and even if you don't remember me, I'll just have to win your love all over again." He bent at the waist and raised one of Shinichi's hands to his lips, placing a gentle kiss to the back of it.

Shinichi averted his eyes and glared at the ground, wondering if his face was just going to get stuck colored red. 'I'm just not used to someone flirting with me. I've been stuck as a grade schooler for over a year now,' he told himself.

Surely, this had to be a dream. It had to be. Magical tunnels of rainbow light didn't suddenly appear to whisk unsuspecting detectives to fairytale kingdoms. But—and there was really no reason to consider this since it obviously was a dream—if it wasn't, he had one major problem.

If KID thought he was his dead fiancé, how was Shinichi going to convince him to let him leave?

0-0-0-0-0

Kaito's eyes flicked down to his phone in his lap and back up to the chalkboard the teacher was gesturing to. His head was resting in the palm of his hand with his elbow on the desk to cover the ear bud he was wearing. The video feed streaming on his phone was of an elementary school class. Tantei-kun's class, to be specific. There was only one problem.

Tantei-kun wasn't there.

Once Heart had confirmed his absence, she'd next checked the Mouri residence, then that strange professor's. But his dove had no luck finding the shrunken detective anywhere. Without any other leads, Kaito had sent her back to spy on his class again. Maybe at recess, one of the Detective Boys would say something that could clue him in on Tantei-kun's whereabouts.

He shoved down his concern. Just because Akako had said some weird stuff this morning and now Tantei-kun was missing didn't mean the two were related. He was probably just visiting that Osakan detective.

His eyes drifted, and he noticed Akako was watching him. She smirked as if she knew exactly what he was thinking about. He scowled at her before turning away. She would probably try to approach him again about whatever it was she was talking about this morning, but he had no plans to play her game. Sure, she no longer seemed to be trying to kill him, but that didn't mean she could be trusted either. Plus, she'd said Kaitou KID could help, and he couldn't admit to her that he was KID.

' But what if Tantei-kun is really in trouble, and you can't find him in time without her help?'

He stubbornly pushed the thought away.

If Conan was in trouble, of course he would help in whatever way he could. Kaitou KID always looked out for his detectives, and Tantei-kun was special. He was his rival, someone who could actually challenge him. He always enjoyed it when the mini detective attended one of his heists. If they had met under different circumstances, they probably could have even been friends. Maybe they even still could be. Tantei-kun's excuses for letting him go lately had become increasingly more flimsy.

Kaito's eyes trailed back up to the whiteboard, copying down the lesson the teacher was outlining while keeping one ear open to Conan's class. Hopefully he would have more answers by lunch time.

0-0-0-0-0 chapter 2

"Where are we going?" Shinichi asked while being led by the hand down a long hallway.

"I'm taking you to my most trusted healer. She'll want to examine you, and maybe she can take a look at your memories," Phantom answered.

Phantom.

That was what Shinichi had started mentally referring to him as. He'd called himself Phantom KID, rather than Kaitou, and he somehow seemed… different from the KID Shinichi was used to running into. It didn't seem right to keep calling him KID, and he wasn't going to call him Kaito any more than he had to.

They exited the hall and Shinichi found they were now in a new hallway similar to an engawa with how it was partially open to the outside. It circled around a courtyard that held a beautiful garden. He noticed a small table and chair set in the garden, though the chair was currently unoccupied. Phantom took them to one of the hall's doors. On either side of the door were large windows that would allow a great view of the courtyard, although the curtains were currently drawn ment by Valerie Burk: you could say 'similar to an engawa' if that's kind of what you're picturing, to give it a little japanese frame of referenceComment by Valerie Burk: Apparently this sort of thing is also called a "loggia," but I have literally never heard this term before in my life and doubt your typical readership has either. https/en./wiki/LoggiaComment by Megan H: Not a bad idea, but I'm also not sure most readers will know what an engawa is. Does what I wrote look good?Comment by Valerie Burk: yea i like it! also we live in a world of instant access to any information so if someone is like "whut?" they can get off theirass and google it

Phantom rapped on the door.

"Not now," a female voice groused from inside.

Phantom waved his hand over the knob, and Shinichi heard the lock click. He blinked. Shinichi knew that KID was very skilled at opening locks, but even the best still needed a lockpick or some other kind of tool. How had he unlocked the door without even touching it?Comment by Valerie Burk: gotta be magnets.

Phantom opened the door and entered, his back blocking Shinichi's view. "I didn't give you permission to enter," that same female voice said.

"I don't need permission. You work for me, not the other way around," Phantom answered cooly.

"Your Highness. What brings you to my office?"

"I have a patient for you to examine," Phantom answered.

"Unless it's life threatening, they will have to wait. I don't have time at the moment," the woman answered.

"You'll make time, and you will do as I say without arguing. This takes precedence."

Shinichi could hear the scorn in her voice when she responded. "You might be my employer, but I still get to decide what I study and how I get to go about my work. That was our agreement when you offered me this position."

Phantom growled. "You and I both know that I did you a favor offering you this job after I saved you from those slums I found you in. If you don't want to obey me, perhaps you were happier there."

Silence before the woman replied in a low voice, "I didn't agree to work for you just because you were better than my current situation. I agreed because I saw you as a kind man who genuinely cared about this kingdom and its people. I believed in your cause and wanted to be a part of it. But you've changed. I know you miss your prince, but do you really think he would be happy if he could see what you've become these past few months? Do you think he would be proud of the way you've taken over rule?"

Shinichi saw Phantom flinch. Then he replied, "Why don't we ask him?"

He stepped aside to reveal Shinichi.

Shinichi froze when his eyes landed on the other room's occupant. Standing before him was a grown Haibara Ai.

Haibara's expression turned to shock when she saw him as well.

"Prince Shinichi? But how?"

"Haibara?"

Her face turned to one of confusion. She turned back to Phantom. "He doesn't recognize me."

"He seems to be experiencing memory problems," Phantom answered.

Shinichi frowned. Of course he recognized her, it was her who didn't seem to recognize the name 'Haibara.' Did that mean she went by Miyano Shiho?

"What of his strange state of dress?" she asked.

Phantom shrugged. "They're the clothes I found him in."

She turned her attention back to him. "Please, have a seat," she offered. Once he was seated, she pulled out what seemed to be some sort of wand. The tip of it lit up like a penlight, though Shinichi hadn't seen her press any kind of button. She shined it in his eyes, examining his pupils. "My name is Miyano Shiho. I am a healer and researcher here for the royal family. Can you tell me your name?"

"I'm Kudo Shinichi," he answered while trying not to squint at the bright light.

"Your Highness, progress update on the search for Snake!"

Shinichi startled at the voice. He hadn't heard anyone else enter. What's more is he knew that voice, it had sounded like Hattori. He looked around, at first not seeing anyone. Then his eyes landed on what looked like an astral projection of a dove hovering in the air.

Phantom turned his eyes towards the bird, looking unsurprised. "Report," he ordered.

The dove opened its beak, and Hattori's Kansai accent could clearly be heard coming from it. "Our scouts believe they've found another of his hideouts."

Phantom straightened up, fully alert. "Tell me everything you've found so far."

Shiho interrupted. "I still have a patient to examine. Could you take that outside?" She'd moved her wand from Shinichi's face and was now waving it vaguely over the rest of his body in a pattern he couldn't understand.

Phantom looked conflicted, like he didn't want to leave them. The bird spoke again, but this time it was in Hakuba's voice. "Your Highness, you are currently with the man you believe to be Prince Shinichi, are you not? The men are tired, why not allow for a break while you figure things out on your end?"

"You forget the second goal of our search. We were not only trying to recover my beloved, but to also find the man who took him from me in the first place. Shinichi may have been returned to me, but the guilty party still must face punishment," Phantom said vehemently. He turned back to Shiho and addressed her. "Shiho, I'm stepping out to see to the investigation. Do what you can for Shinichi's memory until I return."

She waved him off distractedly, not looking up from her wand. Occasionally she would poke him with the tip. He was half convinced she was doing this just to amuse herself with his reaction.

As soon as Phantom left, she returned the wand to her lap. She met his eyes and studied him. Shinichi met her gaze in silence, feeling as though he should let her speak first.

"You are not Kudo Shinichi," she said finally. Then, before he could speak, she amended her statement, "You are not the Kudo Shinichi of this world."

Shinichi didn't answer immediately before replying, "You mean to say I've come from another world. That's not possible. Either this is all a dream, or I've officially gone insane. Ouch!"

Shiho leaned back in her seat again after jabbing him particularly hard with her wand. The tip had given him a small shock, like static electricity. "While I cannot speak to your sanity, I can assure you you are not dreaming. What do you remember before you came to this world?"

Shinichi recounted his class trip before falling through the tunnel of light. Shiho listened in silence. Once he'd finished, she said, "Someone must have summoned you from your world to ours, but only a few are powerful enough for such complicated magic."

Shinichi gave her a blank look. "Magic."

Shiho looked at him with mild interest. "Oh, does your world not have magic?" she asked while pointing her wand at her desk, floating a pad of paper and a pencil to herself.

"No, we don't. Not real magic, anyway," Shinichi answered while his eyes followed the floating objects. "Though from what I have seen of your world so far, I believe we have compensated by becoming more technologically advanced."

Shiho hummed in answer. "Necessity is the mother of invention," she agreed. "The question is, who was it that summoned you here?"

"I'm less interested in who, and more in why and how do I get back," Shinichi countered.

Shiho nodded in acknowledgement. "Both very important questions, but I believe in order for you to go home, you will first have to find the person who summoned you here."

"Let me guess, only the person who summoned me can send me back?"

"Oh no, anyone with strong enough magic could do it. Prince Kaito could do it, assuming he's willing. The king could as well, if he has recovered from the assault by the prince. The problem is that whoever summoned you has also placed a sort of block on you which prevents you from returning to your world. The block must first be removed, and the only one capable is the person who placed it on you."

Shinichi's shoulders slumped for a moment before he squared them again in determination. "It's just another mystery for me to solve. This is no different from what I do day to day."

Shiho gave him an approving smile. "Some sort of sleuth, are you? I should have known. Your mirror was much the same. He was talented in many ways, but he took a particular interest in the Department of Investigation and Inspection." She heaved a heavy sigh. "Prince Kaito hasn't been the same since his passing."

"Since my arrival, he's painted a less than stellar picture of himself," Shinichi responded, thinking back to the prince threatening Hakuba and the way he'd spoken to Shiho earlier.

Shiho gave a sad smile. "Grief can be an ugly thing. After his fiancé's passing, the prince has become obsessed with enacting revenge. He even went as far as to injure his own father in order to usurp the throne, ordering everyone to work tirelessly to find the ones who wronged him. But if you could have seen him before Prince Shinichi's death, he was like a different man. He was a bit of a prankster and a little immature at times, but he was always gentle and never did harm to anyone."

"It sounds like you cared for him deeply," Shinichi said sympathetically. He knew from his cases what grief could do to a person. He also knew that revenge often brought only more grief.

Shiho averted her gaze, her eyes far away. "Prince Kaito and Prince Shinichi saved me, I owe them both my life. I was forced against my will to work for the Corvus, a band of outlaws, doing research for them. Prince Shinichi tracked down each of the members and brought them to justice, but he allowed me to go free. But nobody wanted to hire an ex-Corvus member, even if I had essentially been their prisoner. Prince Kaito was the one who offered me a place here."

"Your research, did it happen to do with untraceable poisons?" Shinichi asked, eyes narrowed in ment by Valerie Burk: fuck i just realized, how long does he have until the temp antidote wears off. curious to find out if he has the other pills on him or if they were back in the room with his luggage. on the one hand, he has to wait an 8 hours gap to take another so why carry them around everywhere, but on the other hand, probably safer to keep them on his person

"No, it was rituals for immortality," Shiho answered.

Shinichi nodded. So this Shiho's path had diverged from Haibara's in multiple ways, but they still shared many similarities, just like how he and Prince Shinichi were both detectives. He wondered if there were other parallels between the two worlds, and if they could be useful somehow. Comment by Valerie Burk: OR DID IT?! 1 total reaction Megan H reacted with at 2024-06-20 19:53 PM

He needed to find out more.

0-0-0-0-0

"So that stick you are waving over me," Shinichi started and left the sentence hanging.

"This is a wand; it helps me focus my magic. Not strictly necessary for any magic user, but it can help one perform their intended task. You can think of it like an artist making a sketch first before they move on to paint, I suppose," Shiho answered.

Shinichi thought back to the sparks of electricity coming from Phantom's hand, and when he unlocked the door. "The Prince doesn't use a wand," he pointed out.

"He doesn't," Shiho agreed, "the strongest magic users often don't. In the Clover Kingdom, the only ones capable are His Majesty, His Highness, and the Red Witch. Prince Kaito's betrothed was also capable."

Shinichi felt a headache coming on. A world with real magic? There was so much he didn't know, and he didn't even know what questions to ask. He could spend hours learning the rules of magic of this world, and none of it may even be relevant to his returning home. It was probably best to explore other lines of questioning first, then he could come back to magic if necessary.

"Why did Snake kill Prince Shinichi?" he asked.

Before Shiho could answer, her office door was suddenly thrown open, and Phantom moodily stomped in. "It was to get back at my father indirectly, by hurting me. My father was the first Phantom KID, the leader of a secret group that has sworn to protect the people from dangerous magic. There are those who try to track down and use magically imbued items for their own selfish gain and the detriment of others. My father would thwart them by finding these dangerous items, or steal them from their owners if he had to, giving him the name of King of Thieves. Apparently Snake was one of those men my father stole from many times, and he wanted revenge."

Shinichi furrowed his brow. "In that case, why didn't he kill the king himself? Or even you? Why go after someone so far removed from him?"

Phantom scoffed, "I won't try to understand the mind of a fool."

Shinichi brought his hand to his chin in thought. It couldn't have been easy to kill a prince, especially one who according to Shiho had been one of the kingdom's most powerful, so if Snake had found a way to accomplish it, why hadn't he gone one step further to kill the king himself? Was it simply a crime of opportunity? He doubted it was just for revenge. Something was missing.

"Would it be possible to examine the scene of the crime? And what about the…" he paused, unsure how to ask to examine the body.

Shiho seemed to catch on. "The event took place months ago. I would imagine any evidence you might have been able to find would long be gone. And the body of the deceased was stolen by Snake."

"But you've been returned to me now," Phantom cut in.

Shiho continued without acknowledging he'd spoken, "But King Toichi does have the reports from the incident. Whenever I check the progression of his healing, I usually find him pouring over them."Comment by Valerie Burk: this is good to hear. i was figuring he was like in a coma or bed bound or ment by Valerie Burk: it'll be interesting when shinichi meets him for the first time. i'm curious if he will recognize him!

Shinichi was sure now more than ever that Snake's motive for murder was suspicious. What reason could he possibly have for stealing the body after the act? Even if it was just to twist the knife in the wound he'd created, it didn't seem worth the trouble he'd have to go through. It seemed like pure insanity, but Shinichi couldn't believe that such a crime could be pulled off by someone who had lost his mind. No, Snake wasn't insane, and he certainly wasn't a fool. He had an ulterior motive aside from revenge, and it seemed that the king thought so as well.

Phantom, bored of the conversation, asked Shiho, "Have you finished your exam? Are my beloved's memories restored?"

Shiho eyed Shinichi, answering carefully. "I have done all I can do for him at this time."

You tell him you aren't his Shinichi, I'm staying out of it.Comment by Valerie Burk: well damn

Shinichi understood, even if it did hurt a little. This world's Shiho had no allegiance to him. He might share the same face as the prince who had been part of her rescue, but they were not the same person. It would be up to him to tell Phantom the truth, without Shiho's help. The prince was bound to take the news hard, but it had to be done if Shinichi had any hope of returning home. Otherwise, he could be stuck here in a strange world, among faces that looked familiar, but none of which were his true friends.

Suddenly, Shinichi felt very alone.

"Wonderful! You can send a full report to my desk later," Phantom answered before closing the space between him and Shinichi. He leaned in close and tenderly cupped Shinichi's cheek, speaking in a low voice, "for now, I wish to get reacquainted with my intended."

Shinichi felt himself blush and mentally cursed. At least the sooner Phantom knew that he wasn't his fiancé, the sooner he wouldn't have to deal with this flirting anymore. He shouldn't even be getting flustered like this; he had Ran! Comment by Valerie Burk: OR SO YOU THINK

He followed Phantom out of Shiho's office and through the castle. "Where are we going?"

Phantom shot him a sly grin over his shoulder. "Why, to my chambers, of course."

Shinichi gulped, feeling his blush return.

After a bit of walking, Shinichi followed Phantom inside of what was presumably his room. Phantom closed the door behind them. Then, the prince turned around and pounced on him.

Shinichi only just managed to cover Phantom's lips with his hand before the prince could kiss him. "Wait! There's something I have to tell you, but I'm afraid it's not going to be easy."

Phantom removed Shinichi's hand so he could answer. "What is it? You can tell me anything."

Shinichi took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "I am not your Shinichi. Someone brought me here from my own world."

Phantom had gone perfectly still. "Your memories—"

"My memories are perfectly intact. Shiho confirmed I was summoned here; she said someone placed some sort of block on me, preventing me from being able to return home," Shinichi answered.

Phantom didn't immediately respond. He walked past Shinichi to the large windows, staring out them. There was a heaviness to his shoulders. "I see. So you aren't my Shinichi."Comment by Valerie Burk: i'm mildly surprised he believed him so readily hahaComment by Megan H: Did you see the word count, lady? We ain't got time to convince him hahaha (joking) 1 total reaction Chaotic Blades reacted with at 2024-06-20 21:44 PM

"I'm sorry," Shinichi said sympathetically.

Phantom continued to stare out the window in silence, one that Shinichi was reluctant to break. The man probably felt like he had lost his fiancé all over again. But the sun was beginning to hang low in the sky, and he still needed to figure out how to get home.

He cleared his throat before starting, "I need to figure out who it was that placed this block on me. I won't be able to return to my world until they've removed it."

Phantom cocked his head, his back still to Shinichi. He responded in a strangely even voice, "Return to your world? Whatever for?"Comment by null: 1 total reaction Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-19 19:42 PMComment by Valerie Burk: i should have known that was too easy

Shinichi felt a chill go up his spine. The room suddenly seemed to grow darker, even though sunlight was still streaming in through the windows. "What do you mean? I need to return home."

Phantom turned around. Even though he was smiling, his eyes seemed void of expression. "No, I don't think so. Even if you came from another world, you are still Shinichi, therefore, you are mine."

Shinichi took a step back without taking his eyes off the other man. Phantom, seeing this, stepped forward with a predatory smile. Shinichi continued to walk back, wanting to keep the distance between them, but was forced to stop when he felt the wall against his back. Phantom continued toward him with a smirk.

Shinichi swallowed. "I am not yours. I have someone at home who is waiting for me."

Phantom's face twisted with jealous rage, and he closed the remaining distance between them in a flash, smacking the wall behind Shinichi with his hand and boxing Shinichi in. Shinichi felt his heart begin to race, and he looked up at the prince with wide eyes. He'd initially thought they were about the same height, but he now realized that the other man had a few inches on him. It shouldn't have made that much of a difference, but somehow, at this proximity, he seemed to tower over him. The look of jealousy was gone and had been replaced by a confident grin. "You'll forget about them and come to love me."

Shinichi's hand traveled along the wall behind him until he felt the door. Phantom leaned down, and Shinichi's hand found the doorknob. He ducked under Phantom's arm and slipped through the now open door, then he ran.

0-0-0-0-0

"Kuroba…" Akako said, sounding like she was losing her patience.

Kaito shoved his phone in his pocket and began to walk away from her. He'd come up to the roof during lunch hoping to hide from her, but she'd found him anyway. "Sorry, Akako. I'm a little busy right now."

He couldn't see the video any longer, but he still had one earbud in, allowing him to hear the conversation Heart was spying on.

"If Conan-kun is feeling sick today, maybe we could make him a get well card and bring it to him after school," Ayumi's voice suggested sweetly.

"And when we take it to his house, we can also bring him some candy. Everyone loves candy!" Genta could be heard ment by Valerie Burk: we all know this is Genta's excuse to go buy candy so he gets some too 1 total reaction Megan H reacted with at 2024-06-20 20:02 PM

"What Conan-kun needs right now is rest. Kogoro-san took him to the doctor this morning, and he was given medicine. He's going to be fine. If you really want him to get better, we shouldn't disturb him," Hiabara's voice stated calmly, but left no room for argument.

"Awww!" Came a chorus of disappointment.

Kaito frowned and removed the earbud, deep in thought. He knew Kogoro hadn't taken Conan to the doctor. Heart had already checked the Mouri residence and confirmed that Conan wasn't there, and the old man was snoring loudly while watching reruns of Okino Yoko's TV performances. If the tiny scientist had lied, she likely knew where he actually was, but wasn't going to tell the kids.

So how was he supposed to find him?

"You can't find him, can you?" Akako taunted.

"Who?" Kaito asked, playing dumb. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and began to walk to the roof access door.

"You can search for him all you want, but you aren't going to find him in time. Your only choice is to accept my help. But the clock is ticking. Make your decision now, for the mirror plans to claim him soon," Akako warned.

Kaito stopped walking, weighing her words. The fact that he couldn't find Tantei-kun worried him, and he didn't like Akako's claims that he was running out of time. But the little scientist seemed to know where he was, and she hadn't seemed concerned. And Akako couldn't be trusted. Chances were if he asked her for help, she would only give it if he agreed to be her slave, or something like that.

"Still don't know what you're talking about," Kaito said with a shrug of nonchalance. He opened the door to the stairwell, intending to go back to class.

Suddenly Akako let out a cackle of a laugh, startling him. He turned back to her to see what caused her reaction. "He is being taken now as we speak, but the one who has done so is my very own mirror! This I hadn't anticipated. But it does mean that I am free to act as well!"

Akako began to saunter over to him, a satisfied smirk on her face. He took a step back, but stopped when he realized the stairs were right behind him.

"Now go and rescue the Demon of Light, Kaitou KID, and restore the balance between the two worlds."

"I'm not KID," Kaito snapped.

Akako stopped in front of him. "You're right. Let's fix that, shall we?" she snapped her fingers, and Kaito's clothes were suddenly changed to his KID suit, monocle and all. "There, much better~"Comment by null: 3 total reactions Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-19 19:58 PM Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-19 20:00 PM Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-19 19:58 PM

"Hey!" Kaito protested, looking around to make sure nobody else was nearby to spot him.

"Now go."

Kaito felt her hands on his back as she pushed him. ' Did she just push me down the stairs? Maybe she really is trying to kill me.' As he fell head over heels, he saw beneath him not the concrete steps, but a tunnel of rainbow colored light.

He fell right into it.

'Now what?' Kaito groaned.

He stretched out his arms and legs, but he couldn't find anything to grab onto. He thought briefly of deploying his glider, but discarded the idea immediately. Who knows what would happen if he tried gliding in strange tunnels of light. He saw no other option than to ride this out and see what happened. He crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back to wait.

He didn't have to wait too much longer before the tunnel was replaced by walls. The ground rushed up to meet him, but at this point Kaito figured Akako probably wasn't trying to kill him. He lowered his arms back to his sides and straightened from his reclining mid-air position. Just before he hit the ground, his descent slowed, and then his feet came to rest easily on the ground.

He looked around, and saw he appeared to be in what he could only describe as a low tech study. He was also alone. He checked his phone, and saw he didn't have any signal. He wasn't even ment by null: 1 total reaction Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-19 20:07 PM

The door opened before he could decide his next move, and in walked the Osakan detective, Hattori Heiji. Except what on earth was he wearing?

Hattori froze when he saw him, and Kaito waited to see how he would react. The Osakan was currently blocking the only door in the room. Fortunately, Akako had given him his real suit, meaning he had his full KID arsenal with him, including his sleeping gas.

"Your Highness? Did ya get a new Phantom KID suit?" Hattori asked, looking confused. He entered the room, closing the door behind him softly.

Kaito's poker face slammed in place. He had no idea why Hattori had addressed him so strangely, but he'd always been good at improvising. "Just trying it out. Why is it you are disturbing me?"

Hattori approached him at a casual pace. "Didn' mean ta disturb you. Hakuba informed me about the intruder, and how he'd disappeared. I'm helping ta look for him."

Kaito mentally smiled. The intruder he was talking about had be Tantei-kun. Sounds like he had indeed gotten himself in trouble again.

He was already putting it together. That rainbow tunnel Akako had thrown him into must have been some sort of portal to… a different dimension? Some kind of parallel world? And Tantei-kun must be here somewhere too. It was only thanks to his awareness of magic through Akako that he was able to piece it ment by Valerie Burk: he's probably laughing a little imagining Conan's WHAT THE FUCK in comparison

"I see. When you find the intruder, I want you to inform me of his location immediately," Kaito ordered, trying to sound like someone who would be addressed as 'Your Majesty.'

"Sure, sure. But I'll also have to let Hakuba know that we seem to have more than one imposter."

It was only thanks to his quick reflexes that Kaito was able to dodge the sword which had previously been aiming right for his throat. He threw himself back, putting some distance between him and the other man. The man who looked like Hattori released his sword with one hand and pulled from his robes something that looked like a long stick. He pointed it at him, and Kaito's jaw dropped when a fireball exploded from the end of it and headed right for him.

'It's just a soccer ball, it's just a soccer ball,' Kaito told himself as he dodged to the side like he was evading one of Tantei-kun's killer attacks. But he couldn't feel the heat of a ball while it harmlessly passed him by, and it also didn't set fire to the curtains behind him when it missed its ment by null: 2 total reactions Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-19 20:26 PM Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-19 20:26 PM

"Shit," Hattori cursed, "What are ya trying to do, burn this place down around us?"

" You're the one who threw the fireball," Kaito shot back.

The fire was spreading quickly, but Hattori turned his magic stick from Kaito to the curtains, and water began to spray out. Kaito watched for just a moment to make sure he had it handled, then he turned on his heels and ran for the door.

"Oi! Get back here, coward," Hattori called after him, but Kaito was already gone.

He continued to run, taking turns at random, unsure of where he was going. 'A fireball? Did he really shoot a fireball at me? As if he wasn't dangerous enough with a sword, this world also has to give him real magic too?'

He needed a plan. If this was some kind of castle, maybe he could find a bedroom or the servants quarters, and he could steal some clothes that he could use for a disguise?

"Your Highness!"

Kaito skidded to a halt, noticing too late that he had rounded a corner and come face to face with what looked to be palace guards who had taken position in front of a door. Both guards had taken a deep bow at sight of him. He only wished he knew who it was he was inadvertently ment by Valerie Burk: haha i can't wait until he runs into 'himself'

'They think you're royalty. Just try to act like a bit of a prick. Channel your inner Hakuba.'Comment by null: 2 total reactions Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-19 20:40 PM Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-19 20:40 PM

"As you were," he told them. He made to continue down the hall with an air of self importance.

"Your Highness, His Majesty said he wishes to speak with you," one of the guards said before he could walk past.

"I see, and where might I find him at this hour?" Kaito asked.

Both the guards exchanged a confused look before the other answered while gesturing at the door they were guarding, "He's still in his bed healing, as he has been for the past six months since you injur—since he was injured."

"Of course I knew that! What do you take me for, a fool?" Kaito demanded.

Both guards jumped and immediately hurried to offer apologies.

Seeing no way to get out of it without drawing suspicion, Kaito waved them off and entered the room behind them. He had never felt so unprepared for a disguise, but he comforted himself with the knowledge that he still had his sleeping gas.

He closed the door behind him, then his eyes scanned the room, immediately spotting the heavily bandaged figure sitting up in bed. Even bandaged as he was, he still could clearly see the man's features, and he immediately recognized him.

It really shouldn't have been the surprise it was, and yet he still found himself shocked.

"Dad?"Comment by Valerie Burk: my heart

0-0-0-0-0 chapter 3

Shinichi walked down the hallway, hopelessly lost and feeling a bit despondent. Even if he could figure out where he was, he didn't know where he should be going. He needed to find the person that placed the block on him and have them remove it so that he could go home. But how was he to find them?Comment by Valerie Burk: not to mention find someone willing to send him home... but ONE THING AT A TIME!

Whoever it was must have brought him for a reason, and it must have something to do with his resemblance to the deceased prince. His primary suspect would be Phantom himself, except based on his reactions, he obviously had known nothing about it.

Shinichi stopped for a moment, thinking about Phantom. The man obviously wasn't in the right frame of mind, driven to a state of psychosis by the belief that his fiancé had been returned to him, only for his hopes to be shattered. He couldn't help but feel sorry for him, his feelings amplified by the fact that Phantom so resembled someone from his world that he could almost consider a friend.

But as much as he sympathized with Phantom, he couldn't take the deceased prince's place. Shinichi shook his head and kept walking, his steps more determined, though he still didn't know where he was going.

There was still the question of why this Snake character had murdered and stolen the body of the prince in the first place. Phantom had seemed confident that it was only an act of revenge, but Shinichi was sure there had to be more to it. From what Shiho had said, the king also seemed to think the same thing. Maybe he could request an audience with the king and ask to see those reports?

He started walking again with renewed purpose. The next time he saw someone, he would ask for directions to the king's chambers. He didn't want a repeat of his meeting with Hakuba, but hopefully Shiho had spread the word about him to the rest of the castle.

The problem was he really hadn't seen that many people since his arrival. Shouldn't a castle this size have more people moving about? Guards, servants, other residents… yet this place was nearly a ghost town. He wondered if it had something to do with Phantom temporarily seizing control of the kingdom. That magical bird that used Hattori and Hakuba's voice to speak with Phantom had said he was working the men tirelessly. Maybe most of the castle's residents were out searching for Snake. Some may have even left all together, once the prince's personality had changed.

He approached a window, looking out to see if he could see any guards outside. He spotted a couple of familiar faces, and startled in surprise, before he smiled. Down in the courtyard was what looked to be a training area for the palace guards. Ran, or this world's 'mirror', was standing in front of a group of soldiers, leading what looked to be a training seminar in hand to hand combat. Sera seemed to be assisting her, walking among the trainees and occasionally correcting someone's form.

Ran had always loved karate. Shinichi had often wondered if someday she would eventually move from practicing to teaching students of her own. He thought it would suit her. At least in this world, it looked like he'd been right.

The training session ended, and the men all bowed before going their separate ways. Ran used a rag to wipe the sweat from her brow and Sera took a swig from her waterskin before handing it to Ran. Ran took a long drink, then began talking to Sera. She was smiling, and both girls laughed at a joke Shinichi couldn't hear. He smiled fondly. Even if she wasn't his Ran, he was glad that she looked happy.

Then Sera closed the distance between them, and even from this distance, Shinichi could tell they were kissing. Ran wrapped her arms around Sera's neck, pulling the other girl closer. Shinichi's eyes widened, and he hurriedly turned away from the window, feeling a bit like a voyeur.

His heart was racing and his face was a little red, but once he settled down, he realized his feelings were more from surprise rather than upset.

' I just saw the girl I love kissing someone else. Shouldn't that have bothered me more?'

Except this wasn't actually his Ran. That had to be the reason, right?

Right?

If she could move on from you and be happy with someone else, then you wouldn't have to feel guilty for falling out of love with her after asking her to wait for you.

He shook his head. He was still in love with Ran. He had to be. Because otherwise, that would be yet another way Conan had changed him. He felt like he was losing more and more of himself to Conan every day. He was afraid if this continued, he wouldn't even recognize himself once everything was ment by null: 1 total reaction Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-19 22:02 PM

Shinichi slumped down the wall and wrapped his arms around his knees. He knew he wasn't being fair to Ran. He should want to be with her because he loved her, not because he was afraid of letting go.

'I'm even worse than Phantom. At least his behavior is from real love.'

He cringed at himself. Maybe… once he got back home, he should use his next temporary antidote to have a real conversation with Ran about his feelings.

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi continued walking when his stomach suddenly let out a low growl, reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything since lunch in Kyoto, however many hours ago that was. A glance at the window showed the sun low in the sky; dinner must have long past. The castle was sure to have kitchens around here somewhere, if he could only find them.

He must have been in luck though, because his nose picked up what smelled like something delicious. He followed the scent and was surprised when he found himself outside on a balcony. The balcony was spacious and overlooked a rose garden down below. A table set for two with what looked to be a romantic candlelit dinner sat off to the side.

"There you are, my love. I was beginning to worry that the food would grow cold before I could find you."

He turned and saw Phantom behind him.

"You've had a long day, and you must be hungry. Come, let's eat."

Not knowing what else to do, Shinichi warily allowed himself to be led by the hand to the table and took a seat. The food did smell really good, and he did need to eat. He picked up his fork and speared a bite. It was good.

Phantom was watching him. "I knew you would like it. I had the chef make your favorite."

"You mean the chef made this world's Shinichi's favorite," he corrected. He didn't plan to entertain Phantom's delusions.

Phantom scowled, but it was quickly replaced by an easy smile again. "You may have grown up in a different world, but you are still Shinichi. You might as well be the same person."

"But don't our experiences help to shape who we are? If those experiences are different, that would mean we are different as well," Shinichi argued.

"But the core of your personality is the same. You're even debating me just like old times!"

Shinichi didn't answer, not seeing a point to continuing the argument. Phantom didn't seem to mind the silence, and looked content just to watch him eat.

Once he'd finished, Phantom stood and came around the table, offering Shinichi his hand. Shinichi took it, and Phantom pulled him up with more force than necessary, pulling Shinichi flush against his body. Shinichi glared. He was sure the man had done that on purpose. Phantom gave him a cheeky grin.

An arm wrapped around his waist, and Phantom spun them around before beginning to move, making Shinichi move with him. He realized that they were moving in the formation of the box step, the begging steps for a waltz. He followed along easily, muscle memory from the long hours his mother forced him to practice before dragging him off to some sort of charity gala.

"You might not be the Shinichi of this world, but see how you still fit against me so nicely~" Phantom spoke softly, directly into his ear.

Shinichi shivered, feeling Phantom's breath on his neck. A small part of him wondered if this is what it would feel like to dance with KID. He pushed the thought away, determined not to analyze it further. He felt the hand wrapped around his waist begin to wander lower. "Watch where you're putting those hands," he warned with a ment by Valerie Burk: this was not the time for ridiculous thought experiments

Phantom pulled back enough to give him a leering grin. "Why do you protest? I know all the right places to touch you to make you feel good."

He suddenly leaned down again and nipped at Shinichi's neck, startling a gasp out of him. "S-stop that!"

Phantom pulled away again, looking very self satisfied. "Soon, you are going to be begging for me to touch you. I'll have you moaning my name, just like you used to."

Shinichi's face felt like it was on fire. He pushed Phantom away, trying to get some distance between them. "That's not going to happen. I already told you I need to find a way to get home. I would like to start with a meeting with the king."

Phantom's scowl was back. "I am the acting king until Snake has been found and forced to pay for what he did. My father is too injured to be of any use to anyone."

"Then if you won't help me, I'll investigate on my own."

"No, you won't." Phantom snapped his fingers, and Shinichi felt his wrists snap together before the weight of manacles settled around them. "You are to give up this silly game of detective you are playing. You are to stay here, by my side. I will make you love me."

"Sure, and restraining me is a fantastic way to start," Shinichi replied sarcastically while studying the pair of irons.

Phantom stepped closer and gripped Shinichi's chin, forcing him to meet his gaze. "Of course I would love to court you without taking such drastic measures, but I suppose all relationships have their rocky moments."Comment by Valerie Burk: SO CREEPY! GOOD LINE!

Shinichi glared back defiantly. He wondered how he was going to investigate now.

Behind them, the sun began to set.

0-0-0-0-0

Kaito approached the door slowly, careful not to make any noise. Once he was close enough, he pressed his ear to the door, listening intently. He could just barely make out two voices; one that sounded dry and more than a bit annoyed, the other sounding smug and eerily familiar. He couldn't make out any words, but it was no matter. He had already confirmed he was in the right place.

He took a deep breath, and let it out slow.

Show time.

"Kaito, come to my chambers immediately. We need to discuss your search for Snake," he said in a perfect imitation of King Toichi's voice. Then he hurried to hide himself in the broom cupboard down the hall.

The sound of a door opening. "Father? Have you regained enough of your strength to send messenger doves?" he heard his own voice ask. Then it grumbled to the empty hall, "Apparently not enough to keep the dove around for a reply. I'll be back, darling. Wait for me here~"

"As if you're giving me any other choice!" the other in the room snarked back.

Kaito heard the door click shut, then the sound of someone walking away. He waited until he could no longer hear their footsteps, then counted slowly in his head to 10. Once he'd finished, he cautiously opened the cupboard, and made sure the coast was clear before exiting.

He hurried back to the door. It was locked, but that barely even slowed him down. He opened the door and slipped inside, closing it behind him.

It was a bedroom, though it looked closer to a luxurious suite at a hotel. The room was quite large and beautifully furnished, with a sitting area adjacent to the bed, and a separate area that looked to be a kitchenette. The table was set with a bottle of wine, fruit, bread, and cheeses.

His eyes landed on the figure sitting on the couch in the sitting area. He was glaring moodily at a book, and Kaito could see a set of manacles with a short chain around both his wrists, and another with a much longer chain on his right ankle. It was Tantei-kun.

And he was in his teenage body.

He'd been prepped, but part of him hadn't believed it.

The chains clinked as Kudo turned a page. "Back already? Did you forget something?" he asked without looking up, sounding grumpy.

Kaito felt a familiar grin settle on his face, and he rested one hand on his hip. "Is that any way to greet your rescuer, Tantei-kun?"

Kudo's head snapped up so fast, Kaito was concerned for his neck. "KID? Is that really you?"

"The one and only~ Were you expecting someone else? I must say, I've met a lot of imitators, but none of them have been me from another world. While I do admire his taste in fashion, I can't say I approve of his treatment of my favorite critic."

"It really is you," Kudo said, sounding relieved. He quickly stood and rushed to Kaito's side, only for the chain around his ankle to run out of length, causing him to trip.

Kaito darted forward and caught him before he could hit the ground. "Careful, just because you're happy to see me doesn't mean you need to throw yourself into my arms."

Instead of quipping back like he'd expected, Kudo laughed and leaned forward until his head was resting on Kaito's shoulder. Kaito's arms tightened around him in concern. "I don't know if I've ever been so happy to see you. It's so great to see a familiar face, one that is actually familiar and doesn't just look like someone I know. I didn't even realize that I missed you until now." Kaito didn't think he was supposed to hear that last part.

Kaito continued to hold him, giving the detective the respite he clearly needed. After another moment though, Kudo pulled away, a faint blush on his cheeks, but otherwise looking back to himself. "Thanks, and sorry about that. It was probably a little weird having one of your detectives hugging onto you. Let's just say it's been a long day," he said with a sigh of ment by Valerie Burk: i mean... its not like its the first time. the others just have been when you're small and freefalling out of a blimp or off a building or something

Kaito found himself staring in fascination at the pink color on Kudo's cheeks. He couldn't help but think that Kudo was cute. Of course Conan was adorable, and he had known for some time that the chibi detective was actually the same age as him, and he'd even known that Kudo was attractive. But he hadn't noticed that Tantei-kun was cute until ment by Valerie Burk: probably doesn't hurt either that the seed of an idea was likely planted in his head by 'his dad' that this world's version of the two of them were engaged 1 total reaction Megan H reacted with at 2024-06-21 19:08 PM

He couldn't resist raising one of Kudo's hands to his lips and placing a kiss to the back of it. "I wouldn't mind as long as the detective in question is you."

Kudo's receding blush returned full force. "I'm not used to you flirting with me." He didn't pull his hand away.

"And I'm not used to you coming up past my knees. Now come on, let's get you out of here," Kaito answered before turning his attention to the shackles around Kudo's wrists, pulling out his trusty lockpicks. Comment by Valerie Burk: you're killing me with great lines here, geezComment by null: 1 total reaction Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-19 22:50 PM

"What are you doing here, anyway? How did you get here?" Shinichi asked.

"It's a bit of a long story. Let's just say a witch threw me into a magical portal and told me I had to find you or something about how the balance between good and evil would be destroyed," Kaito answered. He unlocked both restraints from Kudo's wrists and moved down to the one around his ankle.

"So you were summoned here as well? At least you know who summoned you and why," Kudo said while rubbing his wrists.

"Oh no, I wasn't summoned here by a witch in this world. I was sent here by a witch in our world. Oh yeah, magic in our world is real. But not as common as it seems to be here. I've only ever met the one witch from our world. As far as I know, she might be the only one," Kaito answered.

Kudo didn't reply immediately. "I want to argue that that's impossible, but after everything I've seen recently, I'm not so sure anymore."

The lock popped open and fell away from Kudo's ankle with a clink of the chain. "Alright, you're free, now come on," Kaito said while reaching for Kudo, careful to hold his forearm higher up from where the manacles might have made his wrists sore.

"Hang on, I can't leave, I'm stuck here," Kudo said.

"It's okay, I have an ally who is willing to create a portal and send us home."

"That's not the problem. Whoever it was that summoned me here also placed a magical block on me that keeps me here. Apparently only the person who put the block on me can remove it," Kudo explained.

Kaito stopped. "So we have to find this person first and get them to remove it."

"I don't know who it was that did it, but I think if we can figure out the mystery surrounding the murder of Prince Shinichi, we might also find the person who put the block on me," Kudo said.

Kaito sighed, but he couldn't help but allow his smile to break through. "Everywhere you go, you always manage to tangle yourself in some kind of mystery. Alright, I know you have a plan, so let's hear it."

"Right. So I'm going to need you to investigate for me."

"Ehh?" Kaito said in surprise. He hadn't expected that to be Kudo's plan. "I don't know if you have forgotten, but between the two of us, you are the detective."

"Of course. But I don't know if you've heard: apparently the Shinichi of this world was engaged to—"

"My doppelganger, yes, I've heard. And apparently he's lost his marbles and is reenacting Yandere Simulator, which is why you were locked up in the first place."Comment by Valerie Burk: a wtf? (you don't need to answer that, i looked it up lol)

Kudo nodded. "Exactly. If he comes back, and I'm not here, he's going to try to find me. And he has no interest in letting me investigate myself. That's why I need to wait here, and you need to investigate for me."

Kaito frowned. "I don't like it. Tantei-kun, this guy might look like me, but you can't trust him."

Kudo shook his head. "He's a little crazy right now, but I don't think he will actually hurt me."

"Did you forget he locked you up? Are you suffering from Stockholm syndrome?" Kaito deadpanned.

"Just trust me, I know what I'm doing," Kudo insisted.

Kaito sighed in exasperation. "I can't believe I'm listening to you. All right, where do I start?"

"If you can find the king, he might be able to help. I've heard that he has also been looking into the murder. He may know something."

Kaito blinked, then felt himself grin. Lady Luck was shining on him again. "Do you mean King Toichi? This might be easier than I'd thought."

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi caught himself, once again, staring wistfully out the balcony door KID had exited through. He closed the book he was attempting to read with a sigh. It was a newly printed edition detailing the history of the Clover Kingdom, and while it could help him understand this world better, it just couldn't hold his attention. He couldn't help but miss the thief now that he was gone. To be fair, KID was his only real friend in this world. Regardless, if he had any hope of returning home, he would have to rely on his help, and that meant KID would investigate for him while he waited here, like some kind of princess locked away in an ivory tower.

He suddenly felt a hysterical giggle bubble up inside of him over the absurdity of the situation, and he only just managed to keep it from escaping. He stood from the sofa and trudged over to the bed, the chain from his reattached shackles clinking behind him, and flopped onto the mattress. The chain between his wrists wasn't long enough to let him lie spread eagle, putting a bit of a damper on his moody flop, and also further reinforcing the damsel in distress imagery. He hadn't wanted to put the chains back on, but Phantom would question how he'd gotten them off, so on they went.

He turned onto his side, staring at the manacles on his wrists without really seeing them. He didn't usually like asking others for help but… at least it was KID. He knew he could rely on him. Actually, with KID helping, the case was likely to get solved twice as fast now. Shinichi huffed out a laugh. That thief's good luck really was absurd. He still couldn't believe that KID had managed, completely by accident, to meet and enlist the help of the king. Not only was King Toichi already investigating the murder himself, but he also could use his authority to get KID access to places that otherwise may have posed a problem for the thief. Not to mention the king was a powerful magic user, although his powers were greatly limited while he was recovering from his injury.

King Toichi.

He had learned that Phantom's full name was Kuroba Kaito, and he also knew that Phantom was this world's mirror to Kaitou KID. That meant that the king would be a mirror to KID's father. But the Kuroba Toichi from his world was dead.

KID had kept up a confident facade while he'd been here, but Shinichi had felt a sadness coming off the man that couldn't fully be hidden behind his mask. He couldn't imagine what KID must have felt when he'd met the man who looked like his father, only to realize it wasn't actually him. And now, he had to work alongside that man for Shinichi's sake.

He really was going to owe KID big after this one. He'd probably have to let him go after the next three, no, make that four ment by null: 1 total reaction Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-19 23:18 PM

Shinichi gave a little self deprecating grin. He didn't know who he was trying to fool. It's not like he was still really trying to catch the thief anymore. Maybe once they made it back home, he would try asking KID again why he chose to steal. He was sure the thief had a reason. Depending what it was, he might even help.

Shinichi chuckled to himself. Was he really thinking about helping an internationally-wanted thief steal? Before Conan, he wouldn't have even considered it, no matter what the reason was. He really had changed.

'Maybe… that's not such a bad thing after all,' he thought to himself as he remembered KID placing a kiss on the back of his hand.

He felt his face heat and shook the memory away. KID had just been teasing him like he did everyone else. It was silly for him to get so flustered over a bit of meaningless flirting. Actually, it probably couldn't even be qualified as flirting since it was KID, with his habitual gentleman act. He should focus first on getting home, then he could figure out how he was going to help KID with his own goals. Assuming that after hearing KID out, he would still indeed want to help.

'Let's take it back a step. I need to focus, none of the rest of this matters until I get home anyway. Period. End thought.'

As he lay there, he realized his eyelids were beginning to feel heavy. Well it had been a long day. That probably explained the weird thoughts he was having too. He felt his eyes begin to close. On the one hand, it might not be the best idea to sleep here when Phantom would be back at any moment. On the other hand, he would need to sleep at some point, especially if he wanted to keep his mind sharp. Besides, he really didn't think Phantom would do anything to hurt him. Still, he wouldn't put it past the prince to do something weird like watch him sleep, being the creep that he was.

'If he does, I'll kick him in his crown jewels,' he promised himself.

With that final thought, he fell asleep.

0-0-0-0-0 chapter 4

He felt someone run their fingers through his hair. He rolled from his side onto his back, and slowly opened his eyes. A blurry cloud of white obscured most of his vision.

"Shinichi…"

He blinked the sleep from his eyes, and the blur solidified into Kaitou KID's suit. The thief was leaning over him, one hand caressing his face. He leaned down, closing the distance between them. Shinichi closed his eyes and waited.

The kiss was hungry, and full of longing. Shinichi gave himself over to the lips that covered his own, nearly melting into the kiss. He brought his hands up to clutch at KID's jacket.

He gripped the material tight and slammed his forehead into the other in a surprise headbutt.

Both men yelped and fell away from each other.

"Imposter," Shinichi accused while rubbing his now aching head, "Do that again, and I'll kick your ass."

Phantom snapped his fingers, and the KID suit he was wearing changed back into his normal version of the outfit. "How did you know it was me?"

"You called me Shinichi," he answered. "Why were you dressed like that anyway?"

"Well I came back to our room and found my fiancé sleeping, looking positively angelic. So I decided to take a peek at your dreams, and found that you were dreaming about another man! Are you cheating on me, Shinichi!?"Comment by Valerie Burk: well fuck, thats unsettling. and henceforth Shinichi gets ZERO sleep the rest of the time he's here.

"W-what?" Shinichi sputtered.

It was all just too much. The kiss that he had absolutely enthusiastically responded to and he wasn't going to think anymore about, Phantom seeing his dreams, and apparently he'd been dreaming about KID? He couldn't remember what he'd been dreaming about, but what could Phantom have seen to make him assume that?

Actually, he could probably take a guess, and if he was right, he didn't want to know.

Phantom continued. "Well, I suppose that person was my mirror, so I'll forgive you this time. Still, I don't like to share, so accept that you're my fiancé now, forget your feelings for him, and fall for me instead."

Shinichi opened his mouth, not even sure what he was going to say, but was cut off by a stabbing pain in his chest. He gasped before clenching his teeth, one hand coming up to fist his shirt.

The temporary antidote.

It was wearing off.

Somehow, he'd completely forgotten that this body was running on borrowed time. Hadn't Haibara warned him that he would only have a few hours after the sunset before the temporary antidote wore off? He'd planned to be back in his hotel room by that point, just in time for lights out. But with everything else that had happened today, somehow it had completely slipped his mind.

"Shinichi!" Phantom yelled, sounding terrified.

"It's okay, this is supposed to happen," he grit out between panting breaths.

"Have you gone mad? You have steam coming off of you!"

He tried to answer, but all that came out was a groan of pain. He squeezed his eyes shut, only to snap them open again when he felt himself being lifted.

"Healer, I've got to get you to a healer," Phantom said frantically.

"It's alright, it will last just a little longer," Shinichi tried to assure him.

"Shiho, my father, anyone! I can't do it myself!" he shouted, sounding panic-stricken.

He pressed his head against Phantom's shoulder. The worst of the pain had come, and he could feel his clothes becoming looser as his body began to shrink. This caused Phantom to become even more panicked for a moment as he seemed to think Shinichi was disappearing, but he could no longer speak to reassure the other. Finally, the pain began to subside as his body seemed to be done shrinking.

He looked up at the prince who was currently still holding him. The look of terror at least was gone, but it had been replaced by one of shock and confusion.

"Shinichi, my love. Were you by any chance cursed?" Phantom asked.

Shinichi, now Conan again, snorted. "Other people have asked me that before, but for unrelated reasons," he answered, thinking about the dead bodies he always seemed to come across, "actually I was poisoned. Except instead of killing me, like the poison was intended to do, it did this to me."

Phantom's gaze sharpened. "Was the one who poisoned you your world's mirror to Snake?"

Conan shook his head. "I've never heard of anyone by that name before coming here."

"I see. And why is it you weren't in this body when you came to this world?"

"I have a friend who is looking to create a cure. She managed to create a temporary antidote in the meantime, and I had taken one prior to arriving in your world. But it doesn't last long."

Phantom began walking them back to the bed. "We'll see about that. I'll have Shiho examine you again in the morning; she'll be able to do something about that poison with a wave of her wand."

Conan found himself feeling hopeful, despite himself. Could it really be that easy? Well, this world did have real magic, and it was fitting in a way if it was a different version of the poison's creator who cured him.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of the shackle snapping shut around his ankle once more. He looked down and saw Phantom had modified it without his noticing, making it smaller so it still fit his child-sized body. He hadn't even noticed when it had slipped off.

He shot Phantom a glare.

"Don't give me that look. I already know if I didn't take this precaution, you would wait until I went to sleep, then go off and find trouble. And I bet you can break into all kinds of places you aren't supposed to be in with that smaller body," Phantom chided.

Conan huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, but otherwise didn't argue.

Phantom sat on the bed, placing Conan on his lap. He gave the smaller boy a cheeky grin. "You know, now that I'm no longer worried you might be dying, I just noticed how cute you are like this. Look at you, you look like a little mouse!"

Conan rolled his eyes and decided to ignore his statement. He pulled his sleeves up to free his hands. "Do you have some clothes I could borrow?"

"Borrow? My love, what's mine is yours; you needn't borrow a thing. I also happen to have an extra large wardrobe full of clothes I would love to dress you in. But it will have to wait until after Shiho takes a look at you tomorrow. I'm afraid I don't have anything that will fit you until you grow up a bit more."

And if Shiho couldn't do anything for him, he did still have the temporary antidotes Haibara had given him. He was glad he'd decided to keep them in his pocket instead of his duffle bag. He'd have to wait 8 hours before taking another one, and it's not like it would last, but it was an option. He didn't really see a reason to stay as Conan in this world for longer than he had to beyond just rationing. Not only was this body weaker, it also didn't come with the same advantages it had in his world, such as making adults drop their guard while he questioned them. He didn't even have his Conan-gadgets with him to compensate.

Phantom cuddled him closer, nuzzling his cheek against the top of Conan's head, making the smaller boy grunt in annoyance. "Would you stop that?" he snapped.

"I can't help it. You're teddy bear size; it's like you were made for cuddling."

Conan let him carry on and stared at the ceiling in a deadpan, allowing himself to dissociate while the prince continued to snuggle him.

When Phantom was apparently satisfied, he tucked them both into bed, still holding Conan's smaller body to his chest.

"You know I'm not actually a teddy bear, right? Don't tell me you plan to hold me all night," Conan complained while unsuccessfully trying to squirm out of Phantom's grasp.

"Of course I do; but you are still my fiancé. Besides, we both always slept best when we were in each other's arms, and I haven't been able to sleep well in months. But don't worry, the only thing I plan to do is hold you. As cute as you are in this form, I much prefer your sexier adult body," Phantom ment by Valerie Burk: At least he should be relatively safe in assuming Phantom won't try to make out with him anymore while he's like this. That's certainly an advantage he has as Conan in this world lol

Conan put in one final effort to wiggle out of Phantom's arms before giving up. He let out a sigh. He might as well try to get some more sleep. That nap he'd had earlier had been nice, but not nearly long enough.

Memories of how he'd been woken from his nap came floating back to him.

More specifically, memories of the kiss.

Even more specifically, for a moment, he'd thought it was KID kissing him.

And he'd kissed back.

Phantom gave him a loud smack on the cheek, causing Conan to let out an indignant squeak. "I thought you said the only thing you would do was hold me?"

"Well of course I have to give you your goodnight kiss. I promised I would always kiss you goodnight after you agreed to marry me," Phantom said not looking the least bit apologetic.

Conan frowned at him while wiping off his cheek, though part of him still felt bad for the other man.

'He does remember that wasn't me he made that promise to, right?'

He thought about how Phantom had said he hadn't slept well in months.

'Just for tonight,' he promised himself.

He settled down into a more comfortable position, allowing himself to relax into the arms holding him.

"Goodnight… Kaito."

As he listened to Phantom's breathing even out, he wondered where KID was now, and if he was okay.

He closed his eyes, and let sleep take him.

0-0-0-0-0

Conan woke to the feeling of something poking his cheek. He grunted in annoyance and tried to shoo it away, but it persisted. Finally, he cracked one eye open, only to snap awake a second later.

Standing before him was Kaitou KID.

"KID? What are you doing here?" He scream-whispered while shooting a worried look to Phantom's sleeping face.

KID gave him a mischievous grin. "You don't have to worry about waking the prince thief here, I gave him a dose of sleeping gas before waking you."

Conan gave a cautious look, and saw to his relief that Phantom seemed to be truly asleep and unaware. He began to gently pull himself out of Phantom's hold, only for KID to unceremoniously pluck Conan from him, causing Phantom's arms to fall with a flop.

Instead of putting him down, KID continued to hold him. "Why were you cuddling with him anyway? Isn't he the one who put this," he reached down and rattled the chain around Conan's ankle, "on you?"

Conan felt his face heat. "It's not exactly like I wanted to. He didn't really give me much choice."

KID pouted. "You didn't exactly look unhappy to be there either."

Conan stared in disbelief. Was it just him, or did KID sound jealous?Comment by Valerie Burk: i was _asleep_ dude; for all you know i was dreaming about _you_. 1 total reaction Megan H reacted with at 2024-06-22 08:50 AM

Behind them, Phantom mumbled something in his sleep.

"We better hurry; who knows if magic makes your sleeping gas less effective here," Conan said.

KID nodded. "Here, I brought you something that might help in the investigation." He gave a twist of his wrist, and made some rolled up papers appear from seemingly nowhere. Conan knew how the trick had been performed, but knowing the effort it would have taken to learn, coupled with KID's flawless execution, somehow made it all the more impressive.

"Uh, is something wrong? You're staring as if I did a much more complicated trick," KID asked.

"Sorry, it's just I feel like that was magic more real than anything else I've seen since coming here." Realizing he'd just said something really embarrassing, Conan flushed. "Uh, I mean, that's not what I meant to say!"

KID laughed, his cheeks pink. "Alright, Tantei-kun, you really know how to butter me up. You're forgiven for earlier. Now, these papers here," KID said, bringing their attention back to the pages he was holding.

Conan took them from KID and unrolled them. "What are they?"

"Possibly something, maybe nothing. The king gave me the locations of Snake's hideouts that have already been discovered. They've all already been searched, but not by me~ The King of Thieves and his men are good, but they rely too much on magic and detection spells. I managed to find these without any of that. They seem to be written in some kind of code," KID explained.

Conan's eyes danced with excitement. "This is amazing!"

"And by the transitive property, that means I'm amazing too," KID responded with a cheeky ment by null: 2 total reactions Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-20 00:18 AM Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-06-20 00:18 AM

Conan rolled his eyes fondly, but didn't disagree.

"I'd better go before this handsome imposter decides to wake up. Try not to miss me too much while I'm gone~" KID said with a cheerful grin. He gave Conan a light peck on the cheek before setting the boy down on the bed once more. Then he gave one final jovial wave before exiting out through the balcony.

Conan stared after him, his face warm, his fingertips resting on the spot where KID's lips had been a moment ago.

He lowered his hand back to his side without wiping off his cheek.

0-0-0-0-0

Conan studied the papers KID had brought him. They did seem to be written in some kind of code, and he knew it was going to take some time to crack. For now, he just focused on memorizing the encrypted notes. Comment by Megan H: mental note to self. He never figures out the code because Shiho gives him the answer. Make him react appropriately disappointed 2 total reactions Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-07-17 15:38 PM Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-07-17 15:38 PM

He heard the sound of approaching footsteps and quickly shoved the papers into the back of the book he was pretending to read. Phantom opened the door a moment later. "I'm back, darling~ I've brought Shiho with me so she can do something about that little problem of yours," he said while entering the room, Shiho following behind him.

"I thought you said your world did not have magic," she said, addressing Conan.

"It doesn't," Conan answered while pushing up one of his sleeves that had slipped down, "It was a poison that did this to me. The poison is meant to kill the victim by activating apoptosis, but I managed to survive because of a rare side effect that causes de-aging instead. My body is that of a child, but my memories and personality remain intact."

"I see. Your world must have made quite the advancement in medicine. I would have thought a potion that restores youth, even as a side effect, would require at least some knowledge of magic."

Phantom picked Conan up before sitting down on the couch and setting Conan on his lap. "How long will it take you to cure him?"

"It shouldn't be too long, but I'll need to examine him again. It is fortunate that I'll have had the opportunity to examine him in both a state while he is being affected by the poison, and while he wasn't," she replied.

"In that case, send word to the kitchens that my fiance and I will be having breakfast in our room," Phantom ordered.

Shiho raised a brow, but otherwise didn't argue. She raised her wand and a silver dove made of light flew from the tip and passed through the door, like a ghost. She conjured up a chair for herself with another wave of her wand, and pulled it close to them. She took a seat and, without another word to either of them, began her exam.

Conan watched curiously as she worked. Sometimes his body would glow or feel warm, but otherwise there were no signs she was doing anything at all other than waving her wand around like some kind of orchestral conductor. Occasionally, she would pause to take notes on a notepad she kept in her lap.

She hadn't been working for long when a servant arrived, levitating a few trays that held an assortment of food. The servant left the food within arm's reach on a nearby table, gave a respectful bow, and was gone again.

Phantom put a few items on a plate and held it for both of them to eat from. Conan tried to offer some to Shiho as well, but she didn't answer him.

"She's too absorbed in her work to hear you. I'll make sure she eats some once she's finished," Phantom promised.

By the time Shiho was done, they'd both already finished the plate Phantom had made. "I can't rid the poison from your body without a better understanding of the poison itself. If I perhaps had a sample or the notes from the creator, it could be done, but I am not able to glean enough information from my exam alone," she said to Conan, "What I can do is put a sort of block on the poison, but it will only affect you while you are in our world. If you were to return to your own world, my magic cannot reach there, and the block will be removed."Comment by Valerie Burk: how familiar of a conundrum

Conan frowned in disappointment, but didn't comment.

"That's perfect! Since you aren't returning to your world, you have nothing to worry about," Phantom said cheerfully to Conan. "Shiho, why don't you eat something before you cure my fiancé? Wouldn't want something to go wrong because your strength wasn't up."

"If you just had left out that last part, you would have sounded like your old, considerate self," Shiho said in disdain, but she set down her wand and her notes, and made herself a plate as well.

Conan looked at her notepad curiously, reading the neatly written notes, though he couldn't understand what any of it meant. He supposed he would need knowledge of magic for it to make sense. He thought of the pages KID had brought him, and internally sighed, hoping it wouldn't be the same for them. His eyes narrowed, and flicked back to Shiho's pad. There was something familiar about the writing. His eyes then widened in realization.

It was the same handwriting as the papers KID had brought him.

He couldn't pull out the pages for comparison without anyone seeing them, but he knew he was correct. That must mean that Shiho had written those papers. And if KID had found them at one of Snake's hideouts, that meant she was somehow involved.

The pieces were starting to fall into place. When they had first met yesterday, Shiho had told her story, and he'd immediately seen the parallels to Haibara's own. Both were forced to work for a shady group before escaping. Haibara had created the very poison that had shrunk him, and it seemed that Shiho had, presumably inadvertently, had a hand in Prince Shinichi's death.

He was going to have to find a way to talk to her without Phantom overhearing. She would recognize her notes, and hopefully might know what Snake was using them for. She'd told him that the Corvus had her researching immortality, so it was highly likely that was Snake's goal. Stories and fairy tales often depicted rituals for immortality involving human sacrifice. If it worked that way in this world, it was a partial motive for Prince Shinichi's murder, but still didn't explain why he was specifically targeted, or why the body had been stolen.

Perhaps there was something special about the deceased prince that was necessary for the ritual. He didn't know enough about magic to do more than theorize at this point. His theories also didn't give any hint as to who it was that had summoned him to this world, or why. He briefly considered that it may have been Snake himself, perhaps his first attempt at immortality had failed, and he'd summoned another version of the prince to try again, but the theory didn't hold much water. If that had been the intent, then why had Shinichi been summoned to the castle instead of Snake's hideout?

Actually, why had he appeared in the castle, right in front of Phantom?

Conan turned and looked up at Phantom over his shoulder. "Those people who were present when I arrived, could it have been one of them who brought me here?"

Phantom shook his head. "Perhaps if a few of them had pooled their magic together they could have accomplished it, but I have already ruled them out."

"You did? When?"

"Yesterday, after my father wished to speak with me. He'd been informed of your arrival and had been quite curious as well. I looked into the matter so he would stop pestering me and I could return to you."

That must have been during the time KID had met with him.

"Does that mean that whoever summoned me here didn't have to be present in the same room?" Conan asked to clarify.

"Correct. The part of the spell that draws the most power is bringing the person summoned from their world into ours, but having them appear in a location separate from your own would require a small amount of energy in comparison. The farther from the summoner, the more energy would be needed. I would hazard a guess that whoever it was that summoned you must at the very least be in the inner city of the Clover Kingdom, otherwise the amount of magic required would have been too great without a great number of mages combining their power," Shiho answered.

"So I could be looking for one very powerful magic user, or a group that is working together?"

"A group is unlikely," Shiho said with a shake of her head, "Combining powers is possible, but it is not done lightly. It's… a bit hard to explain to someone who cannot do magic themselves."

Phantom spoke up. "When two come together to pool their magic, it is like they are sharing their souls with each other. All of your hopes, your dreams, your insecurities, your flaws, everything is laid bare before the other person as they do the same. You cannot hide anything from each other, but in return, you understand each other completely, and you can combine your powers to accomplish feats you could never accomplish on your own. It is a very intimate act, and even couples who are in love hesitate before sharing their magic."

Shiho sucked in a breath, as if she'd just made a connection. "The fire from last year that threatened over half the kingdom. The king was away visiting a neighboring kingdom, but somehow you and Prince Shinichi managed to put the fire out yourselves." She left the rest unsaid.

Phantom gave her an impassive look. "I grow tired of this conversation. What does it matter who summoned you?" he asked while wrapping his arms around Conan and pulling the smaller boy against his chest.

"Don't you at least find it a little suspicious? Why would someone not only summon me here, but have me appear right in front of you? Out of the goodness of their heart?" Conan asked sarcastically.

"Don't care!" Phantom mockingly answered in a singsong voice. He waved his hand at the manacle around Conan's ankle, and it grew larger. "This has taken far too long. Shiho, please restore my fiancé to his rightful age."

"At least you said please," Shiho grumbled. She raised her wand, and Conan felt his body grow warm.

He braced himself for the expected pain, but all he felt was a slight tingling sensation. He felt the fabric of his clothes sliding against his skin as his body rapidly began to grow. In the blink of an eye, much faster than the temporary antidotes, he was back in his teenage body again.

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi let out a long suffering sigh. As soon as he'd grown back to his proper age, he'd tried slipping off of Phantom's lap, but of course the clingy prince wouldn't let him go. Shiho had dismissed herself, shooting Shinichi a silent apology before leaving.

Phantom hummed happily while tightening his arms around Shinichi's waist. "Now that you're no longer in the body of a child, what would you like to do?" He asked with his lips right next to Shinichi's ear, causing him to shiver.

' At least as Conan, I didn't have to worry about him molesting me. I wonder if it was a mistake to let Shiho restore me to my proper age? Not that I really had much choice in the manner…'

"You know, if you are trying to get me to fall in love with you, sexually assaulting me is not the way to go about it," he said.

Phantom reeled back. He sounded insulted when he replied, "I would never. Tease, yes, but I would never force myself onto you. When I do finally touch you, I want you to beg me for more."Comment by Valerie Burk: says the guy who kissed him while he was half asleep 1 total reaction Megan H reacted with at 2024-07-19 18:59 PM

Shinichi rolled his eyes and considered reciting the definition of sexual harassment to the other man, but decided it would probably be a wasted effort. "Do you have another pair of clothes I could change into? These are starting to feel a little gross."

"Of course~ I have something that I think would look perfect on you," Phantom said brightly.

He snapped his fingers, and Shinichi suddenly found himself wearing a maid outfit. Except the skirt was quite a bit short to be considered professional.

"You—ah!" Shinichi seethed in frustration. He pulled himself out of the other man's arms and stood up, stomping angrily away from the prince, his face red.

"Whoops, that wasn't supposed to have happened," Phantom said with a leering grin.

"Sure, you look really sorry," he replied, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"It really was an accident! Though I must admit, I'm not sorry to see the results~ Here, I'll fix it for you," Phantom said while raising his hand, getting prepared to snap his fingers again.

"Don't you dare! You'll just put me in something worse."

"So… you want to continue wearing the dress? Well, if that's what you want…"

"Of course I don't want to continue wearing it! But I'll change my own clothes, without the use of magic," Shinichi fumed while stomping over to the wardrobe on the other side of the room. He opened it and grabbed out a pair of trousers and a long sleeved collared shirt and blue vest combo. He folded the clothes over his forearm and grabbed a pair of boots from the selection at the bottom of the wardrobe. Since this was Phantom's room, it was fair to assume these clothes were either Prince Shinichi's or Phantoms, meaning they should fit him as well. He stalked to the en suite restroom. " Don't try to come in, or I'll kick your ass."

Phantom snapped his fingers, and the chain around Shinichi's ankle popped open and fell away. Shinichi had forgotten about it for a moment during his anger. That would have made changing a bit difficult. The prince then held up his empty hands with a little smile on his face, looking the picture of innocence. Shinichi gave him one last warning look over his shoulder before slamming the door shut. He turned back around, and he would have yelled if a hand didn't suddenly cover his mouth.

KID stood before him, his free hand at his own face silently making the shush gesture. Shinichi nodded that he understood, and KID lowered his hand from his mouth.

"Were you waiting for me here? How did you know it would be me and not the prince who came in next?" Shinichi asked in a low voice curiously.

"Meitanti, it's nice to see you big again." KID thrust a thumb over his shoulder at the open window behind him. "I was listening on the balcony and heard you coming in here," he paused, as if he'd just noticed something, "What are you wearing?"

Shinichi blushed. "It's not like I want to be wearing this. I thought you said you had been listening?"

"I only just arrived a moment ago, I didn't hear much of the conversation," KID explained. His voice sounded strange, a little too even, and Shinichi peered at him curiously. KID's expression was perfectly blank, giving away nothing.

' Why did he slam on his poker face now of all times? Oh. I think I get it.'

"You must find this hilarious. I'm sure I look ridiculous. Cover your eyes so I can get out of this get up."

"Asking a thief to cover his eyes in front of a detective? You're asking me to put a lot of trust in you right now, Tantei-kun." He covered his eyes with his hand.

Shinichi waved to make sure his eyes were truly covered, then began to pull off the maid dress. "You must know by now that I already figured out your identity because of the prince."

KID didn't answer immediately. "I figured. Once we make it back home, do you plan to turn me in?" He didn't sound the least bit worried.

"...No," Shinichi admitted.

KID's lips curled into a smile.

Shinichi hurriedly looked away, focusing on the pants he was pulling on. He'd worried for a moment that his assumption about the clothes fitting had been wrong, but the pants did technically fit him. They were just a bit tighter than he might have chosen for himself. Still, it was an improvement from the dress. "What are you doing here? You haven't given me much time to decipher those notes you gave me."Comment by Valerie Burk: Clover Kingdom Shinichi depended on magic too much and didn't keep those soccer thighs in shape 2 total reactions Megan H reacted with at 2024-07-19 19:06 PM Megan H reacted with at 2024-07-19 19:06 PM

KID shrugged with one shoulder. "Just checking on you, mostly. I leave you alone with him for a moment, and I already find you wearing kinky outfits for him." He half laughed, though there was something strange in his voice.

"I was not wearing that for him. But I'm glad you're here. I know what we need to do next to proceed with the investigation," Shinichi replied while slipping on the shirt.

"Have you already figured out the cipher? That seems fast, even for you."

"No, but I'm pretty sure I know who wrote it. Her name is Miyano Shiho, and she works here at the castle. We can ask her directly without even figuring out the code," Shinichi said, trying to keep the disappointment from his voice.

He must not have succeeded because KID stifled a laugh. "Don't pout, Tantei-kun. I'll write you an extra hard riddle when we get home."

Shinichi felt himself light up with excitement before he could stop himself. He was glad KID was still covering his eyes. He quickly schooled his expression before replying. "I look forward to it. You can look now."

Shinichi tried to toe on the boots he'd grabbed, but they were too tight for him to just slip on. He turned back around and braced one hand against the wall for balance, bending slightly at the waist and pulling on the boot with his other hand. He heard a strangled sound behind him.

He looked over his shoulder in confusion, and saw KID's poker face had made a return. He sighed. "So much for these clothes being an improvement," he grumbled.

"No! You look great from behin—I mean you look great!"

Shinichi stared at him. He replayed the past several seconds in his head, and flushed in realization. Had KID been ogling his ass?

He'd brushed off the previous flirting as part of KID's act, but this time the thief seemed genuinely flustered. It seemed like a real reaction. Did KID find him attractive?

The thought should have upset him, but it didn't.

'I need to focus on the task at hand. Phantom is still on the other side of the door, and who knows how much longer his patience will last.'

'There'll be time for introspective thoughts later,' he promised himself.

"I've hidden the pages you gave me in the book on the coffee table. I'll get the prince to take me out of the room, then once we are gone, you can retrieve them. Take them to Shiho, and ask her how she's involved in all of this," Shinichi instructed.

"Is that wise?" KID asked.

"It's alright, I trust her," Shinichi answered, "I could tell when she talked to me. She's grateful to both the princes for freeing her. She would never do anything to harm either of them"

KID nodded and took one of Shinichi's hands in his own, and placed a kiss on the back of it. "I'll be waiting on the balcony until you guys are gone. Be careful, and don't let him do any more weird things to you. I'll do what I can to get us back home soon." Then he left out the window he'd entered through.

Shinichi, on the other hand, had to wait another minute or two for his blush to recede before he could exit the restroom.

0-0-0-0-0 chapter 5

KID stared sullenly at the bit of parchment King Toichi was drawing on. After he'd asked for a map of the castle, the king had told him regrettably that his magic wasn't recovered enough for conjuring. KID had given him a deadpan look before offering the man a pen and paper. Honestly, the people of this world relied too heavily on magic.

"If you glare any harder, you might light your map on fire before I finish it," King Toichi remarked without raising his gaze. "Something on your mind?"

"That prince is a real piece of work. You know that, right?" KID answered.

Toichi grimaced. "What is it my son has done this time?"

KID scowled. "I can't believe Shin—Kudo had to ask him if they could go on a walk together just so I could retrieve those papers. He shouldn't have to ask permission for a walk."

'Not to mention that outfit Kudo had been wearing when I went to talk to him.'

"Sounds a bit like a date; I'm sure they had fun," the king said airily.

"Sure, if you ignore the fact that the prince didn't remove his shackles. So romantic," KID replied, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Toichi flinched. "Kaito, he's… he's going through a lot. I can't say I condone his actions, but he's not a monster either. It is my hope that once Prince Shinichi's murder is solved, it will bring him closure, and he can begin to heal."

"You've been bedridden for months because of what he did to you, and you say he's no monster. Mourning the loss of a loved one is no excuse to take over an entire kingdom like some kind of tyrant," KID bit out.

Toichi paused and finally looked up from his drawing. "I had previously assumed your dour mood was simply jealousy that Kaito is flirting with your beau, but now I have to wonder if there's more to it than that."

"Kudo and I aren't like that," KID denied while looking away.

"Hmm, aren't you though? I suppose I was mistaken," the king replied while returning his attention back to the parchment. "Still, I can't help but think you are taking my son's actions rather personally. Is it simply because he's your mirror, or is that not the full story?"

KID remained silent. King Toichi didn't say anything more, seemingly focused on the map he was drawing. Finally, KID replied, "I see him, and I can't help but wonder… If I had the same kind of power and authority as him, would I have gone down a similar path? Am I really better than him, or do I just lack the resources to become him?"

"You've lost someone in your world as well," Toichi said, looking at him mournfully. "It was me, wasn't it? I had suspected the moment I saw your face when we met."

KID nodded. "It was nothing like what happened in your world, though." Then, he told him about his father's murder, and how he'd become KID.

It was the first time he'd actually told someone else his story. His mother knew, of course, but they'd never actually talked about it. He never would have guessed the first person he'd tell would be his own father, albeit another world's version of his ment by null: 2 total reactions Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-07-17 20:11 PM Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-07-17 20:11 PM

He hadn't expected it to feel so relieving.

"I may look like your father, but he and I are not the same person. So I hope I'm not overstepping, but I know your father would have been proud of you," the king said softly.

KID didn't cry or get misty eyed, his poker face was too well trained, but he allowed himself to feel the complex range of emotions the king's words brought on. His face was blank, but he let his voice carry some of the emotion he felt when he answered, "Thank you."

0-0-0-0-0

"Miss me, Meitantei?"

Kudo whipped around, looking startled but happy to see him. "KID!" He moved to join KID out on the balcony, but stopped short when the chain wouldn't quite reach.

KID's grin slipped into a scowl, and he crossed the distance in a few short strides, kneeling to remove the shackle from around the detective's ankle before doing the same to the set around his wrists.

"Thanks, but you know I'm just going to have to put them back on again before the prince returns," Kudo said with a small smile.

"I wouldn't be able to call myself a gentleman if I left you in chains."

Kudo hummed in reply before changing the subject. "We better hurry, who knows when the prince will be back. I assume you're here because you've met with Shiho?"

KID nodded. "I have, and you don't need to be concerned. The king arranged for another meeting with the prince. I've also set up a few motion detectors to alert me when he is coming back from the king's chambers. Luckily I was sent to this world in my KID suit, so I have a lot of my tricks and gadgets still on me."

Kudo nodded, looking more at ease. "So what did you find?"

KID pulled out a small journal from his inner jacket pocket. "You were correct, those coded papers I gave you were indeed her research."

Kudo peered at the journal with interest. "What did they say?"

KID shrugged. "She said that they were torn from one of her coded research journals, and covered a few different spells and rituals she'd been researching. I'm told you're already aware that her research was in immortality. The coded pages were a few of her different theories and experiments. It's hard to say if Snake was interested in one of her rituals specifically, or if he was trying a few options out. Either way, once she began working at the castle, she rewrote her journals in plain uncoded text, and now keeps them under lock and key in her office," he said while giving the journal a little wave, "She loaned me the journal for the case. But only after she warned me that if I showed the journal to anyone other than you, she would turn me into a frog or something."

Kudo took the journal from him, looking at it curiously. "I think it's safe to say Snake was interested in immortality. Hopefully these notes can help us figure out why Prince Shinichi was targeted, and who it was that summoned me here."

"Immortality again, huh?" KID mumbled, more to himself.

Kudo caught it anyway. He looked at KID, hesitating before asking. "Does that mean you have experience with something similar?"

KID sighed. "It's not a one-for-one parallel, but yes, I have my own Snake problem as well."

"Does it have anything to do with the reason you steal?" Kudo asked carefully.

"And what if it does? What would you do with that information?" KID asked, genuinely curious.

"I would help you," Kudo answered immediately.

KID blinked in surprise, then he laughed. "Let's focus on getting home first, then you can hear my story and decide if you still want to help me."

"So you're willing to tell me?"

He shrugged. "You already know my name and face thanks to my doppelganger. Besides, after everything we've been through together, I think I can trust you. And really, you are going to majorly owe me once I help you get that block removed so you can go home. I would say you'll have to let me go for at least 100 heists before we can call it even. Otherwise, you would be stuck here engaged to Yandere-kun," KID teased.

Kudo smiled, and his whole face lit up for a moment. Then the smile slid into a smirk, his eyes dancing with mischief. "100 heists, huh? I don't know, didn't that person who sent you here say you had to help me or 'something something balance between good and evil destroyed forever?' I think that means you benefit from helping me too. Sorry KID, but I think 100 heists is a bit steep."

KID returned the smirk with his own. "Call me Kaito, and we can settle the terms later."

Kudo looked surprised, then he gave a shy smile. "From your pseudonym directly to your given name? I guess in that case it would only be right if you called me Shinichi."Comment by Valerie Burk: well played, KID

KID returned the smile, feeling warm. He found himself looking forward to hearing the way Kudo, no Shinichi, said his name. He should really let the detective read the journal pages now while Creep-san still wasn't back, but he found himself reluctant to end the conversation.

"So how are you holding up?"

Shinichi shrugged. "Fine, I guess. Are you worried about the prince? He's not too bad, I guess."

KID frowned at him. "That Stockholm syndrome is really taking hold of you, isn't it?"

He rolled his eyes. "Of course not. But after all the crimes I've helped solve, I've seen true evil. The prince has done some very wrong things, not just to me but to his subjects as well, but it's not like he's murdered anyone."

KID snorted out a laugh. "All of those cases have really skewed your judgment if the bar is just 'did they murder?'"Comment by null: 2 total reactions Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-07-17 20:43 PM Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-07-17 20:43 PM

Shinichi huffed, but didn't otherwise argue.

"Still, I have to imagine all of his unwelcome touches are making you uncomfortable, especially since you have your girlfriend waiting for you at home." He wasn't even sure why he said it. Maybe to remind himself that Shinichi was already taken.

Shinichi's expression fell, and he averted his eyes. "Yeah, I'm… not so sure about that one."

KID straightened in surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did she…" he stopped himself from asking if they broke up. Just because they were getting along exceptionally well didn't mean Shinichi wanted to talk about his relationship with a thief.

But Shinichi answered him anyway. "You mean did she break up with me? No, nothing like that. Though honestly, that might have made it easier," he paused before continuing slowly, "I've just recently realized that I'm no longer in love with her."

"Oh, and uh, how did that make you feel?" KID asked. Shinichi arched his brow, making KID laugh, "Sorry, I didn't mean for this to sound like a bad therapy session."

Shinichi laughed as well, "No, it's fine. Haibara would tell me that I could use a bad therapy session anyway."

KID gave him a small smile, but otherwise waited for Shinichi to continue.

"I think a part of me has known for a while that my feelings have changed, but I didn't want to accept it at first. I guess… I was just scared of how much Conan has changed me, when I never asked for any of this in the first place, and moving on from Ran was another change brought upon by Conan."

"Maybe, or maybe if Conan hadn't happened, you and Mouri-chan would have dated, and it would have taken you a lot longer to realize your feelings for her were more… familial?"

"Yeah, that's possible I guess," Shinichi quietly agreed.

"I know that Conan has been a dark spot in your life, but that doesn't mean everything that has come from it has also been bad. And maybe you are different from the person you were before, but I quite like the person that you are now."

Shinichi blushed. "Oh yeah?"

KID smiled and took Shinichi's hand in his own and held it between them. "And you know, if it wasn't for Conan, you and I might never have gotten to know each other."

Rather than withdrawing his hand, Shinichi instead laced their fingers, giving a shy smile. "I'm starting to see what you mean about Conan not being all bad, Kaito."

KID's smile widened. He knew he would like hearing his name from Shinichi's lips. He found himself leaning in towards those lips, wondering if they were as soft as they looked.

A gasp of surprise followed by a growl of outrage had them both springing apart.

KID turned and saw Prince Creepy-san himself standing at the door to his bewilderment. He wondered briefly how the prince had entered without setting off any of his monitoring equipment before his eyes landed on the dinner tray the other man was holding. He mentally cursed. The prince must have stopped by the kitchens after his meeting with the king, meaning he would have been coming from a different hallway. A hallway his equipment wasn't stationed at.

"Hands off, thief. That's my fiancé, you go find your own," the prince growled at him.

"Excuse me? He's from my world, thief," KID shot back at him, moving to position himself in front of Shinichi.

"So you've come to steal him back, have you? You won't be able to even if I were to allow it. Shinichi cannot return home, so you might as well step aside and let us be happy together."

"Yes, he's so obviously happy with you since you have to keep him chained up."

The prince's expression darkened, and little sparks of magic started to crackle around him. "Enough. Maybe he was yours in your world, but he's in my world now, meaning he's mine."

KID scowled. "He's not a possession, and once he solves your fiancé's murder, we can remove that block from him, and then he can decide for himself if he wants to stay."

The prince's eyes widened dangerously, making him look deranged. He spoke in a low voice, "I thought I ordered you not to investigate that."

Shinichi came out from behind KID, addressing the prince. "But don't you think if you allow Prince Shinichi's murder to remain unsolved, you are defiling his memory? If he was anything like me, he also valued justice and truth, and he wouldn't have wanted it to go unsolved. And he wouldn't have wanted those responsible to get away with it."

KID, still feeling a bit vindictive, couldn't resist chiming in, "And if his death isn't enough to investigate, doesn't that imply his life wasn't important to you either?" He pretended not to notice when Shinichi elbowed him.

The prince didn't answer, but magic continued to spark, and some smaller objects began to levitate. The prince didn't even seem to notice as the bowl of fruit floated several inches off the tray he was still holding.

"I don't like the looks of that," KID commented, before putting a hand on Shinichi's shoulder. He was aiming to pull the detective behind him again, but they both jumped apart when a small bolt of lightning flew between them.

" Don't move," the prince ordered. He was holding himself unnaturally still, and his eyes were wide. Small objects continued to float around him.

KID pulled out his card gun, but didn't point it at the prince. Yet. "You could have hurt Shinichi with that," he warned.

"Please, don't say anything else. I can't… I don't want to…" Prince Kaito said, the edge of desperation creeping into his voice. Bolts of magic continued to emit from him, and an unnatural wind seemed to blow around the room.

"Shinichi, this is dangerous, I think we need to go. Now," KID yelled to be heard over the wind.

No sooner had he finished speaking than another bolt of magic flew at KID. Shinichi tackled him out of the way. That first attack seemed to open a flurry of others, because immediately after, the levitating objects began to fly at them too. Or, more specifically, at KID. Most of them, such as the apple that had been in the fruit bowl, he just ducked, but a few he had to fire his card gun at to avoid. He heard a crash from behind him and turned to what was once a wooden chair in pieces on the floor. By the looks of it, the chair had been flying at his back, but Shinichi had kicked it away as if he were sending a soccer ball to the goal net.

"Kaito, stop!" For a brief moment, he thought Shinichi was speaking to him, until he realized he was addressing the prince.

KID pulled one of his sleeping smoke bombs from his pocket, but hesitated. Shinichi, seeing him, shook his head. "It's no good. There's no telling where the smoke will go with this wind he's conjured," the detective shouted.

"So what's your plan, Meitantei?"

"I'm going to try talking to him!"

"That's a terrible plan!"

Shinichi shook his head. "He's not a bad guy, just trust me!"

He turned his attention back to the prince. "Prince Kaito! I know you're hurting; you shared your magic, your very soul, with Prince Shinichi. You truly loved him, and you still do. Do you really see me as some kind of imitation that can so easily replace him? I don't buy that for a second! I think you're in pain, and you're looking for something, anything, to distract you from it. But if you don't face that pain, you'll always be stuck where you're at now, and you'll never be able to heal."

The erratic prince didn't answer, but his magic continued to affect things around him. KID thought he even noticed the room beginning to darken, even though none of the magic powered lights in the room had been extinguished.

"Tantei-kun," he said in warning.

"Hush, I think it's working."

"Does this look like it's working to you?"

Shinichi ignored him. "I know you miss him, but I am not your fiancé. Trying to replace him with me is just an insult to the memory of your love for each other. You know this. You have to let me go."

The prince finally reacted, letting out a long cry of anguish. As he did so, the amount of magic crackling in the air increased an alarming amount.

Instead of looking worried, Shinichi, to KID's confusion, looked relieved. "He finally let it all go." KID wasn't even sure if Shinichi was talking to him, or himself.

KID meant to ask what he meant, but he was interrupted by a particularly large bolt of lightning striking the ceiling directly above the prince's head, causing a large crack to form. The weakened ceiling groaned under the weight of the building, and the crack traveled across to the chandelier, heavy with decorative crystals, that was hanging above Shinichi's head.

KID moved on instinct, pushing Shinichi out of the way as the chandelier began to fall. He got them both out of the way in time as the heavy iron piece crashed into the ground behind them. He quickly covered Shinichi's body with his own, bracing himself for the flying debris, some of which were sure to shred him.

But it never came. Instead, Prince Kaito appeared over him, as if he had teleported, covering KID and protecting him from the shards, taking the blows himself.

0-0-0-0-0

"Are you both okay?" Shinichi asked.

KID shook his head. "I'm fine, but he might be hurt," he moved so that Shinichi could see Phantom shielding them with his body, "He protected me, even though he didn't have to. I was already covering you, so I would have been the only one hurt. But he still..."

Shinichi started to crawl out from under KID, being careful of the shards of crystal around them. KID, seeing what he was doing, immediately moved out of the way and helped him stand. He went to Phantom and immediately began to check his injuries.

The prince had numerous small cuts on his body, but based on their location and the amount of blood flow, none of them seemed to be too serious so long as he sought medical attention.

"Why didn't you use your magic?" KID asked, sounding more confused rather than accusatory, "You could have teleported us away instead of yourself to us, or put up some kind of barrier or something. Why did you take the blow yourself?"

Shinichi answered in his stead. "It's because he can't control his magic." Phantom met his gaze, and didn't look the least bit surprised by his declaration. "It took me a while to figure it out, because since coming to this world, I haven't really interacted much with magic users, outside of the prince. But in a world that uses magic in the place of technology, its people would have to constantly use magic, even for the most mundane of tasks. But I've only seen Prince Kaito use his magic a few times, and usually only for small tasks and not directly on another person. Even still, he couldn't reliably control it. Like that time with the maid dress. You were telling the truth, weren't you? That really had been an accident."

Phantom grinned, though it looked a bit forced. "One that I assure you I still benefited from."

Shinichi continued. "You shielded Kaito using your own body because you couldn't rely on anything else working. You teleported yourself because if something went wrong with the spell, you would be the one affected. And though I called the maid dress an accident, your magic does indirectly respond to your emotions and desires. This time with the chandelier, a part of you believed you deserved to be hurt. You were punishing yourself."

"You never actually meant to hurt King Toichi, did you?" KID asked as the pieces clicked into place, "The king was hurt shortly after you lost your fiancé. That was the first time your magic went out of control. You've been repressing it ever since. That's also why you have been obsessively looking for Snake. It's not just a revenge plot and to recover Prince Shinichi's remains, it's also because you were hoping it would settle your emotions, returning control back to you. I bet that's even why you pushed everyone away: it was to protect them from you. But in that case, why didn't you want Shinichi to investigate the murder himself?"

Shinichi answered him. "As I said earlier, I was a distraction. Grief is not an easy feeling to navigate. It's understandable that anyone would want a reprieve, even if they know logically they aren't dealing with things in a healthy manner. Besides, if I were to investigate the case myself, not only would I not be distracting him, but I would bring up all of those feelings he was trying to run from, which would put me in danger from his uncontrollable magic."

Phantom gave a humorless chuckle. He still hadn't risen from the floor after covering KID. "You've only been with me for these past two days, and you still managed to figure all of that out? I was wrong to keep you from the case. Only someone as smart as my Shinichi could solve his own murder."

Shinichi took one of Phantom's arms and helped him stand. The other man swayed, causing Shinichi to wrap the arm around his shoulder to support the prince's weight. He hoped that the prince was weak from his excessive burst of magic, and not from the blood loss. "Come on, let's get you to someone who can look at your injuries."

Phantom's voice sounded broken, though his eyes remained dry, "I'm sorry, for everything. I just… I miss him."

KID moved to Phantom's other side, slinging the man's other arm around his shoulder. "We know. After your wounds are healed, you can work on your apology to the rest of your kingdom. Meanwhile, Shinichi and I will work on tracking down Snake."

Phantom closed his eyes and gave a small smile. "In that case, I leave it in your care."

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi sat in the chair with both elbows on his knees, one hand holding the journal Kaito had given him, the other at his chin in thought, pouring over the journal's contents. He barely registered someone coming up behind him until they placed a hand on his shoulder.

"How's it coming?" KID asked.

"I think… I'm on the verge of piecing it all together, but I want to be sure before I share my findings," he answered.

The hand on his shoulder gave it a squeeze. "Take your time. I know you'll solve it."

Shinichi didn't raise his eyes from the notes in front of him, staring hard, though he no longer was really seeing it. He moved his hand from his chin and placed it over Kaito's hand on his shoulder.

He hoped he wasn't wrong about this.

He was rewarded a moment later when Kaito started rubbing his thumb in soothing circles. Shinichi let out the breath he'd been holding.

"Ahh~ A budding romance, sure to look beautiful when it fully blooms. I still remember when I first began to court my Shinichi. Of course the start of my mirror's relationship would be just as sweet," Phantom said from the patient exam table behind them.

"Kinda ruining the moment here, Prince Creepy-san," KID replied.

"Don't mind me, just pretend I'm not here."

"Or we could just, like, go. Now that Kidnapper-san is trying to not be an asshole anymore, we don't have to be here anymore," KID pointed out.

Shinichi finally raised his eyes from the notes. "But I wanted to make sure the healer gave him a clean bill of health. I mean I didn't think his wounds looked serious, but I could have been wrong."

KID frowned, looking grumpy. "Fine," he groused.

Phantom barked out a laugh. "I see jealousy is a trait we both share. It's funny seeing it from this side for once."

KID's frown deepened, not enjoying sharing something in common with the prince. Shinichi rushed to change the subject. "Prince Kaito—"

"Please, no need to speak to me so formally. We have shared a bed, after all~" Phantom teased, seemingly just to get a rise out of KID.

Shinichi rolled his eyes. " Your Highness," he said firmly.

"Prince Kaito will do, I suppose," Phantom said with a pout.

"How is your condition?"

The healer that had been poking and prodding at the prince's wounds spoke up for the first time since he'd started his work. "Though his highness' wounds are many, none are severe. But I must heal them one at a time to reduce the risk of scarring."

"Worried a few scars might ruin your image?" KID asked, voice full of derision.

"Hardly. In fact, my Shinichi secretly found my scars to be quite attractive~ But appearances are important when you rule a kingdom, and signs of weakness run the risk of inviting foreign invasion," Phantom answered.

"Sounds like it doesn't take much to look weak if only a few small cuts will do it."

Shinichi rolled his eyes. He would have thought if KID ever got to meet his double, they would team up and it would be a disaster for everyone else. He never would have guessed the two would constantly bicker. He'd thought after Phantom had protected them from the chandelier and apologized for his actions, they'd been getting along better. Well, he supposed little squabble was an improvement over outright fighting each other.

"Prince Kaito," Shinichi interrupted, wanting to stop their fighting, "Do you plan to be involved with my investigation of the prince's murder? Considering…"

Considering it was bound to upset him, and he still couldn't control his magic.

Phantom responded, "You needn't be concerned. I already have a plan for making myself safer to be around until I have a better handle on my magic."

"You do? What is it?" Shinichi asked.

"He's going to wear a power limiter."

"Your Majesty!" the healer jumped to attention and gave a deep bow.

King Toichi entered, leaning heavily on a cane but looking no less regal for it. His gaze found Shinichi's immediately. "You must be Kudo Shinichi. I've heard a lot about you from both my son and his mirror, though this is our first time meeting. I am King Toichi, ruler of the Clover Kingdom."

Shinichi had an awkward moment where he wasn't sure if he should bow or not. He settled for a typical 30 degree bow, the typical bow of respect he would give to a stranger in Japan. "Your Majesty, are you well?"

"Well enough that I have been released from my bed for short walks," the king answered. "Besides, I wanted to meet the one responsible for finally getting through to my foolish son. I've come to offer my gratitude along with whatever assistance I may give."

"Father, did you bring it?" Phantom asked.

The king pulled from his pocket a ring box. He opened it to reveal an obsidian band with runes etched all the way around it. He offered it to Phantom, who took it.

"You said something about a limiter?" Shinichi asked.

"It's a magical artifact that's been in the family vault for generations," Phantom answered while slipping the ring on his right index finger, "This ring will disrupt the natural flow of my magic, greatly weakening it. It doesn't give me better control, but it does decrease the amount of damage I can do. At one time they were more common for children to wear until they learned a better grasp of their magic, but the artifacts fell out of favor due to criticism that they don't actually help the wearer learn control. This ring in particular has always been in the royal family, and is quite a bit stronger than the ones used more commonly by our subjects."

"Does this mean you're going to help with the investigation?" KID asked.

"Yes. It's time I finally stopped running from my grief so that we can bring Snake to justice, and so… we can finally lay my beloved to rest."

KID inclined his head, and Shinichi thought he might have seen a small amount of respect in his gaze.

"Though I'm not sure how much help my son and I, one of us too injured to use magic, the other unable to control it, can offer," King Toichi chimed in.

"Actually… I may have an idea about why Prince Shinichi was targeted by Snake," Shinichi said to them both, "But I don't know enough about magic to know if I'm right. I could use your expertise."

Phantom jolted, sitting up straighter, causing the healer to accidentally jab him with his wand. "Already? What have you found?"

Shinichi hesitated. "I may be ignorant to the magical practices of this world, however, I wouldn't bring forth my idea unless I felt confident about it. I only need to run it by you to confirm I'm right."

He looked first at the king, then at Phantom, waiting for them both to nod their understanding in turn. Behind him, KID returned his hand to his shoulder, silently offering his support. He took a steadying breath.

"Prince Shinichi is alive."Comment by Valerie Burk: DUN, DUN, DUUUUNNNNN~~ 1 total reaction Megan H reacted with at 2024-07-19 20:04 PM

0-0-0-0-0 chapter 6

Kaito stood on the bluffs, viewing the city engulfed in flames down below. The fire had spread unnaturally fast.

He could see the palace knights were containing the fire to the best of their abilities, but despite their best efforts, the blaze continued to slowly spread. It had simply grown too large for them to handle.

From his vantage point, Kaito saw a woman holding a small child fleeing the flames. He knew that most of the townsfolk had been evacuated, but some still remained unaccounted for. He waved his hand and called forth his magic. In front of the woman, a bed of clovers sprouted at her feet, forming a green path that would lead her through the maze of streets to safety. Luckily the woman seemed to quickly grasp the situation, and Kaito saw her begin to follow the path. He breathed a sigh of relief. So long as they didn't stray from the path, they would avoid the most dangerous areas of the fire and easily reach safety. Comment by Valerie Burk: i love this! 1 total reaction Megan H reacted with at 2024-08-01 20:23 PM

He heard the flap of wings, and turned in time to see Shinichi dismounting from a palace dragon. He moved to join Kaito, and Kaito reached out automatically to take the other's hand. He knew they could both use the little bit of comfort it would bring them.

"Any word from my father?"

Shinichi shook his head. "It would seem he's already out of range for our messenger doves to reach him without a precise location. We've already sent our fastest rider after him, but the king has more than half a day's travel lead."

Kaito scowled. "It was very convenient for this great fire to start the moment the most powerful magic user in the kingdom was unreachable."

He felt Shinichi give his hand a squeeze. "So you suspect it too. This fire was no accident. Someone wanted this."

Kaito nodded. "The only question is who?"

"And why," his prince added. "If we find the motive, that could point to the culprit. But there are more important matters to attend to now."

"We have to figure out how to stop this fire," Kaito agreed, "If it continues at this rate, our people are going to have a hard time rebuilding their homes and livelihood, even with all the aid the palace can offer. But with my father unreachable, you and I are the next most powerful magic users in the kingdom, and we still have been unable to put out the fire."

"You know, there is another way."

He could feel his beloved looking at him. He turned, and his gaze was instantly captured by Shinichi's blue eyes. Those eyes that always seemed to see more than anyone else, that took in every detail, were now solely focused on him.

He was instantly reminded of their first meeting almost 3 years ago, when Shinichi had visited from his own kingdom. During the introductions, their eyes had met, and Kaito had instantly been intrigued by the other. They say the eyes are the window to the soul, and Kaito had never felt that more than when he looked into those calm and serious eyes which seemed to hold an intelligence greater than those around him. It wouldn't take long after that first encounter for Kaito to decide he didn't want Shinichi to ever look away from ment by null: 1 total reaction Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-07-31 11:44 AM

Shinichi hadn't made it easy to court him, quickly showing Kaito why many secretly referred to him as 'the ice prince,' but Kaito had quite enjoyed the challenge, and he knew earning the prince's heart would be well worth the effort. Once Kaito had proven he was genuinely interested in him, not just seeing him as a conquest or prize to be won, Shinichi had slowly begun to open up to him. After that, Kaito had learned that Shinichi was completely undeserving of the nickname, 'the ice prince.'

He was actually very warm.

It had taken a year of courting for Shinichi to agree to be his, but Kaito had been right. It would have been worth ten times the effort. Kaito loved him, and he knew, looking into his eyes, that Shinichi felt the same.

And that was why now, Kaito selfishly hesitated.

Shinichi cupped his cheek, and Kaito closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. "If we combine our magic, it will more than quadruple our power. We could stop this fire and save the city."

Kaito took the hand that was cupping his cheek, and kissed the palm. "I know. I just… I wish there was another way."

For a brief second, doubt clouded Shinichi's eyes. "I know that sharing magic is no small feat. If what they say is to be believed, then you and I will be sharing our very souls. We will be unable to hide anything from each other. Is that perhaps why you are reluctant? Do you have… reservations… about our relationship?"

Kaito threw his arms around him, locking their lips together.

"Not at all! Of course I love you." He captured those lips again in another kiss, then drew back to say, "It is precisely because I love you that I hesitate."

Shinichi gave him a soft inquiring look, patiently waiting for him to continue.

"What if… you see my soul, you see me and everything I am, and your love for me diminishes?"

This time, it was Shinichi that pulled Kaito in for a desperate kiss. He drew back, but his arms thrown around Kaito's neck didn't loosen, not allowing much distance between them. "That will never happen. I will always love you."

Kaito's eyes softened. It wasn't like his logic-minded Shinichi to make such promises. Of course Shinichi had no way of knowing if he could keep his promise, but he said it with such conviction, that Kaito found himself believing him.

"Okay, I'm ready."

0-0-0

Kaito and Shinichi lay collapsed next to each other facing the sky, both breathing hard. They'd successfully put out the fire, and had even used their combined strength to repair most of the greater damage to the destruction of property. Interestingly, that hadn't been what left them feeling so tired. No, it had actually been when they had separated their magic that had left them feeling weak and winded.

Kaito found himself chuckling, which turned into full on laughter. "Wow, that was quite a rush! I felt invincible. I still can't decide if it felt good, or made me want to lose my stomach."

"Let's never do it again," Shinichi panted, "The kick back after we separated is too great. All that talk about sharing one's soul, but they don't warn you about the magic hangover you experience afterwards."

Kaito easily agreed, but nevertheless found himself saying, "Still, I'm kinda glad we did. I mean, of course I'm happy we were able to save the city. But aside from that, I was able to experience something I otherwise might never would have. Your magic is just as beautiful as you are."

Shinichi blushed, but Kaito was pleased that he didn't avert his gaze. "I still can't believe you can so easily say such things. But… I'm glad I got to experience it as well. And I would like to point out that I was right."

Kaito arched a questioning brow. "Oh? About?"

"I saw everything, and I still love you."

Kaito no longer felt the lethargy brought upon by the magic separation. In the blink of an eye, he was on top of Shinichi, kissing the daylights out of him. Shinichi's arms were wrapped tightly around his neck, holding Kaito against him, as he enthusiastically kissed back.

Eventually, the arms had moved from his neck to his shoulders, and instead of pulling, were now pushing him away. Kaito drew back, and Shinichi said, "As much as I am enjoying this, we should get back to our duties."

"Hmmm, don't want to," Kaito answered, before capturing those kiss swollen lips again.

He felt Shinichi smiling into the kiss and try in vain to push Kaito away again, though he noticed with some amusement that he wasn't trying very hard.

Shinichi turned his head away from the kiss, which instead left his neck exposed. Kaito eagerly took the offering, trailing kisses and small bites down his throat. "My prince," Shinichi gasped out, "my I remind you with your father gone, you are the acting king. Don't you think you should at least speak with your knights and get a progress report?"

Kaito growled in answer, but otherwise didn't stop his administrations.

"Kaito," Shinichi tried again, sounding breathless, "Speak with your knights, and then I'll allow you to take me back to your chambers where I will give you an answer to the question you are most yearning to ask."

That got Kaito's attention. He rose up, leaning over Shinichi again. He didn't even need to clarify what Shinichi could be referring to. Shinichi had seen all his secrets when they had shared their magic. There could only be one question he was referencing.

"You will?"

Shinichi gave a small smile and nodded.

Kaito gave him another quick peck on the lips, then stood, helping Shinichi stand with him.

It didn't take much time for him to find Hakuba, who always gave the most concise reports. Hattori was of course with him, because even if the two knights pretended not to like each other, their polar opposite personalities made them a great team.

Hakuba pointed at a conjured map. "The areas of the city that took the most damage were here, here, and here. Temporary housing will have to be made for those who lost their homes, but luckily the loss of life was minimized."

"Have you found anything suspicious?" Shinichi asked.

"Like what?" Hattori asked, instantly interested. Kaito had noticed how well the two of them had gotten along once they both found their shared interest in mysteries and the pursuit of justice. Once upon a time, it had made him jealous, but those feelings had quickly been doused once he'd realized their bond leaned more towards the familial.

"Like evidence that someone could have intentionally started the fire," Shinichi prompted.

"We have not, but perhaps we aren't looking in the right place," Hakuba answered. "If we knew a motive, that could point us in the right direction."

Hattori brought his hand to his chin in thought. "It's unlikely to be a plot for revenge. Even if the fire was to camouflage the intended target amongst everyone else, the damage was too great and impossible to control. And none amongst the loss of life was anyone particularly noteworthy as far as titles go."

"Perhaps a distraction," Shinichi offered.

"For what purpose?" Hakuba asked.

"Was anything stolen?"

Hakuba flipped a couple pages in his report. "It will of course take time before we will have a more thorough report, but aside from the typical pillaging and looting, one notable theft has been reported thus far. Once the fire was extinguished, the monks of the Hako Temple quickly returned to the building, but they found that one of their sacred statues was missing. It's most peculiar because according to the monks, the statue is quite heavy, and would be cumbersome to move even with the assistance of magic."

"Any idea why someone might take the statue?"

"The statue itself must have some magical properties, though the monks didn't seem to know what those might be. The statue is of a woman, and she," Hakuba squinted at the notes as if even he couldn't believe his own writing, "appears to cry real tears into an urn in her lap. They call the statue The Regret of Pandora."

"Interesting trick, but unless the thief knows something the monks don't, that doesn't seem worth trying to burn the whole city down over," Kaito replied. "In either case, you and the rest of the knights take 30 minutes to replenish your energy. Then I want you to assign the men shifts with one group helping out where they are needed while the other rests. It's going to take some time to get things settled, and everyone's still exhausted after fighting the fire. I don't want the knights working themselves to the bone when there is still a lot of work ahead. That goes for the two of you as well."

Hakuba and Hattori both bowed deeply with a, "Yes, Your Highness."

"Now Shinichi and I are going back to my chambers to rest as well. I don't wish to be disturbed unless it is of the utmost importance," Kaito ordered.

Hattori's eyes slid over to Shinichi's neck and gave a knowing grin. "Sure, sure. Enjoy your 'rest,' Your Highness."

Shinichi looked confused for a moment before he straightened in realization. A hand came up to self-consciously cover the marks on his neck, and he shot a glare in Kaito's direction, who smiled back innocently. Hakuba muttered something about Hattori earning himself time in the stocks for insubordination if he wasn't careful.

Kaito slung his arm around Shinichi's waist and pulled him close. He reached for his magic and waved his free hand, then after a brief feeling of weightlessness, they were both back in Kaito's chambers.

Kaito's knees gave out from under him, and he collapsed into Shinichi, who was caught by surprise. They both fell back onto the bed, and Kaito took advantage of the opportunity to continue their kissing where they had left off. Almost as if he had planned it~

Shinichi managed to free his mouth long enough to remark, "Should you really have expended your magic to teleport us when we still haven't recovered ourselves? We could have walked, you know. Or even summoned our dragon mounts."

Kaito trailed kisses down his jaw, speaking in between them. "I couldn't wait. I wanted to hear your answer."

Shinichi huffed out a laugh. "Do you think you can keep your mouth to yourself long enough to hear it?" he teased.

Kaito instantly pulled away. He gave a lazy smile, looking down in adoration at the man beneath him. "I can, but I thought I would give you a moment to steady your nerves. So, your answer?"

Shinichi returned his smile, his cheeks showing a hint of pink. He brushed his fingers against Kaito's cheek bone and answered, "Yes, Kaito. I will marry you."

Though he'd been expecting those words, they were still wonderful to hear. Kaito leaned back down again, and Shinichi raised his neck to meet him for another kiss. This time, Kaito didn't intend to stop anytime soon.

0-0-0-0-0 chapter 7

"The one thing that always stuck out to me about Prince Shinichi's murder was the fact that the body was stolen after," Shinichi explained, "But once I read Shiho's translated research notes, I began to grow suspicious that it wasn't a murder to begin with, but a kidnapping."

Phantom's fists were clenched tight, turning his knuckles white. The obsidian ring stood out in stark contrast against his skin. "As much as I would love to entertain the thought that my beloved might still be alive, I cannot afford false hope. I was there when Snake ran him through with his sword. I held him in my arms when he took his last breath."

Shinichi nodded. "I remember you telling me, including the detail about the sword. But when you first mentioned it, you called it a black sword. Shiho's research covers many legends and theories about how immortality might be achieved. I cross referenced them with the pages that were stolen and later recovered from Snake's abandoned hideout, and one stuck out to me in particular. It is a ritual to create a magical gem that can grant immortality."

He felt more than saw KID tense up next to him. Their eyes met, and KID gave a slow shake of his head, the movement barely noticeable. Shinichi took the hint and put it in the back of his mind for now.

He continued, "The creation of the gem has many steps that must be followed precisely, and it starts with running a sacrifice through with a magical sword known as the Sword of Eternal Slumber. The sacrifice will be put into an enchanted sleep, and their body will become a vessel, a living vessel, for the creation of the gem."

"I assume the Sword of Eternal Slumber is described as a black sword, but just because Snake used a sword fitting that description doesn't mean it was the same sword," King Toichi pointed out.

"That is true, but it's also the only ritual that fits," Shinichi insisted, "The other rituals in Shiho's stolen notes can be ruled out for one reason or another. But the ritual I believe Snake to be attempting requires the sacrifice of someone with a large amount of magic. From what I have heard, Prince Shinichi would fit the criteria. It would explain why Snake would go through the trouble of targeting him, and I'm sure the emotional blow it would cause to you and your son was an added bonus. As to why it was Prince Shinichi specifically who was targeted, as opposed to say you, Prince Kaito, I'm not completely sure. It may be as simple as a crime of opportunity. He needed someone with strong magic, and Prince Shinichi was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Just because it's the only ritual that fits doesn't mean Snake was following a ritual at all. He could have targeted Prince Shinichi just to spite me," the king argued.

"Except something I read in this book further supports my deduction," Shinichi answered while setting a book down on a nearby table for all to see.

"That's the book I saw you reading when I first found you in this world," KID said.

Shinichi nodded. "The book details important moments in Clover Kingdom history, and this particular copy is a new edition with recent events. It even goes over the fire that nearly burned down the kingdom a year ago. The section talked about the devastation caused by the fire, including the perplexing loss of the Regret of Pandora."

KID and the prince's eyes both snapped up, but it was Phantom who spoke, "The statue that was stolen from the Hako Temple? What does that have to do with anything?"

"The statue, in addition to the sword, is the other required artifact for the ritual. I'm sure you must have found the fire from a year ago strange. How does a fire grow to that size and that out of control in a world where people can do magic? The answer is that it was no accident, but rather a distraction to steal the statue. There were lots of reports of stolen valuables after the fire, but the statue stood out as the strangest. Why would someone go through the trouble of stealing a heavy statue as opposed to anything else they could have more easily taken? But the statue's use in the ritual changes everything."

"The black sword, the attack on Prince Shinichi — who is known to have a large amount of magic, the missing statue, the stolen notes found in Snake's hideout, all of these together point to Snake using Prince Shinichi to complete his ritual. And that ritual requires Prince Shinichi to be alive," Shinichi concluded.

He was met with stunned silence.

"You have to admit, it's too much to just be coincidence," KID said.

Phantom spoke next, his voice strained and thick with emotion. "Could it be true? Is my Shinichi alive?"

Shinichi's gaze softened sympathetically. "I wouldn't have said it unless I strongly believed it to be true."

"You said the ritual requires a sacrifice," the kind interjected, "but you also said that the sacrifice must be a living vessel. What exactly is being sacrificed?"

"Eventually the vessel's life, though not until the right moment," Shinichi answered, before he went on to explain, "A sacrifice, one with a large amount of magic, is first put into an enchanted sleep with the Sword of Eternal Slumber. Then, they are placed inside the urn that is part of the statue, the Regret of Pandora. The ritual uses the 4 elements of magic: earth, provided by the clay statue, water, provided by the statue's weeping, air, provided by the sacrifice's breath, and fire, which will be built in a hollow in the rear of the statue and kept burning by the person performing the ritual. The urn collects the tears, and the sacrifice bathed in the tears acts as a conduit for all of the elemental magic. They must soak up all of that magic, taking it into themselves as it mixes with their own aether. Under the light of the Volley Comet, the sacrifice's heart will be crystallized, turning it into the gem that the ritual states can grant immortality."

"The Volley Comet is scheduled to pass tonight," the king said, looking grave.

Small objects in the room began to levitate, causing everyone to turn their attention to Phantom.

"You're telling me my beloved is being used as some sort of host, some kind of incubator, for a shiny magic rock? I will burn this kingdom to the ground if that's what it takes to find my Shinichi before Snake can use him for his selfish gains," Phantom seethed.

KID gave a low whistle. "Are we sure that ring is working?" he murmured just loud enough for Shinichi to hear, then spoke up louder, "Get ahold of yourself, Prince Yandere. Shinichi won't let you in on his plan for a rescue mission if he doesn't think you're reliable."

The floating objects dropped like stones. "Rescue mission? You mean you both plan to help me rescue my beloved?"

KID gave a cocky grin. "Of course. Isn't that right, Shinichi?" he asked, turning that grin to the detective.

Shinichi returned it with a smirk. "I'm sure all of this has something to do with why I was brought to this world, but even if it didn't, I wouldn't be much of a detective if I allowed an immoral criminal to remain free." Comment by Valerie Burk: i completely misread this as immortal and was like, WAIT NOT YET 1 total reaction Megan H reacted with at 2024-08-06 16:24 PM

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi leaned over a table with a map of Clover Kingdom with KID, Phantom, and King Toichi standing around the table looking over his shoulder. The map had circles marking all of the known locations Snake had previously used for his hideouts. Shinichi looked between each of the locations, trying to find something they all had in common that he could use to figure out Snake's current location.

"This ritual, wouldn't it create a lot of…," KID waved his hand in a searching gesture, "noise? Like magical noise? Or interference?"

King Toichi brought his hand to his chin, "With the amount of raw magic that would be focused around that one location, it should shine like a beacon for magic users. Not literally, it's not something that can be seen, but rather felt."

"But we were never able to feel anything in any of the previous locations. It was like the magic was hidden," Phantom added.

Shinichi massaged his temples with one hand, feeling a headache coming on. He wondered for the dozenth time if he was capable of solving this mystery when he was still in the dark on how magic operated.

KID took his free hand from under the table, and gave it a squeeze. Shinichi felt some of the tension leave his shoulders.

"Could some kind of spell disguise his magic?" Shinichi asked.

Phantom shook his head. "It would require more power than Snake has at his disposal."

"Then what about a natural environmental factor?" When Phantom and King Toichi furrowed their brows in confusion, Shinichi added with a frustrated wave, "Like, something in these locations that would hide his magic? Ley lines, or something?"

"Ley lines?" Both men repeated in surprise before looking back at the map again.

"Now that I'm looking for it, his hideouts do correspond with key ley line locations," Phantom acknowledged, "I'd never noticed before, because I largely ignore ley lines."

King Toichi added, "Some people try to use ley lines to boost their magic, but the magic is wild and untamed. It can be dangerous and hard to control. My son and I are powerful enough without the need for such things; I often forget of their existence. If Snake is purposefully choosing locations on ley lines, the magic let off by the ritual could indeed be masked."

Shinichi nodded. "I need a map of these ley lines."

"Even while wearing the limiter ring, this shouldn't be too much for me," Phantom said before he snapped his fingers.

Instantly, what looked like golden threads began to appear across Shinichi's map. The threads weaved and overlapped, like a web. Many of the places where several paths crossed were locations that Snake had used.

"If we disregard the obviously unsuitable locations, we can narrow down his possible location," Shinichi said while using a pen to mark an X through a spot in the middle of a lake.

"He also seems to prefer locations that are less populated. Less chance of being witnessed when he's moving a giant stone statue about," KID added while also crossing off a few locations in towns and along major roads.

Phantom crossed off a few more areas. "These areas are inhabited by dangerous beasts. Not a concern for a strong enough magic user that's just passing through, but not the type of place one would operate lengthy rituals in."

"So with those locations eliminated, the most likely place he would choose is… here," Shinichi supplied while circling a location on the map.

The other three bent over the map again and studied the location he'd indicated. It was a set of caves on the shore of a cove. KID nodded before saying, "the caves would provide shelter from the elements while also hiding him from prying eyes. When the comet passes overhead, he would have to move the statue outside the caves onto the beach, something we already know he's capable of doing. This would put them out in the open, but the cove is far from any of the docks or fishing areas, meaning seclusion."

Shinichi nodded. "Exactly."

"That's all I need to know," Phantom replied while turning sharply, his cape fluttering behind him, before walking purposefully towards the door.

"Must he always be so melodramatic?" KID asked with an eye roll only loud enough for Shinichi to hear, before raising his voice, "You don't want to do that!"

"Just because we think we know where Snake is located doesn't mean we are ready to carry out the mission," Shinichi called after Phantom, "You can't just march in there on your own; with your power limiting ring, Snake has you outmatched!"

Phantom only paused for a moment, answering without turning around, "Watch me."

Shinichi sighed while KID groaned in exasperation. "You know, there's having a flair for the dramatics, and then there's this guy. I would never behave so over the top. I walk the line between much and too much perfectly," KID complained.

'Says the guy who routinely swan-dives off buildings,' Shinichi thought with a private smile.

"Come on, let's go stop him before he gets himself killed," he responded before following after the prince.

0-0-0-0-0

Snake stoked the fire burning in the hollow of the statue, then sat back and wiped the sweat from his brow. Satisfied for now, he walked back around to the statue's front, making sure nothing was out of place.

Prince Shinichi sat in the urn resting at the statue's feet, only visible from his chest up, head leaned back, resting on the statue behind him, and his arms rested on the urn's rim, while the rest of him was submerged in the statue's tears. As Snake watched, another tear trailed down the statue's face, then dripped onto the prince's cheek, making it look like he was crying as well, before dripping down to join the rest of the tears in the urn.

At a glance, the prince looked dead, but Snake knew if he watched long enough, he would eventually see him take a breath, his heart rate and respiration greatly slowed by the Sword of Eternal Slumber. Adding to the illusion of death was the ghastly wound on his chest where the sword had pierced him. A crystal flower had bloomed above the wound, as if it had sprouted from the prince's chest, but Snake knew it was actually the opposite. The crystal flower had formed first, and was slowly taking root in the young prince's body. When the Volley Comet passed overhead tonight, the roots would reach his heart, piercing it and pouring all the gathered magic into it. Then Prince Shinichi's heart would crystalize and be reformed into the jewel, Pandora.

Then, Snake would rip it from his chest.

Just a little longer, and he would achieve his goal. The comet was due to pass overhead in another hour.

He leaned in closer, as if he would be able to see the crystal growing towards the heart if he could only find the right angle. A sudden growl made him startle.

"Get away from him."

His gaze snapped in the direction of the voice, and he found himself face to face with his most dreaded intruder.

That damn princling.

And he was wearing that ridiculous Phantom KID getup as well.

"How?" he demanded. "I should have been alerted, so how did you get in here?"

"Hmm?" Phantom cocked his head to the side in mock confusion, a lazy grin on his face, "You mean how did I manage to get past all of your magic detection spells? It was easy with this." He held up his hand, showing the black ring on his finger.

Snake gazed at the ring in astonishment before his eyes narrowed. "A magic suppressor? Of course. With that on, your magic would have registered at best as one of my weak subordinates, and gone ignored. Well I'm only going to warn you once. If I see you try to remove that ring, I'll slit pretty boy's throat over here."

It was an empty threat. Of course after coming this far, he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize all of his hard work. But he just needed to stall until the comet passed.

Then it would be too late.

The Prince's grin only grew. "You have nothing to fear, I have no intention of removing this ring. If I were to do so, my wrath would provoke my magic to explode all around us, likely causing this cave to collapse and kill us all."

For the second time, Snake was left blinking in surprise before he threw back his head and laughed. "Then I've won! You can't do anything against me with so little magic!"

"On the contrary, this much is all I need to defeat you."

There was a loud bang, and suddenly Snake's sight was blinded. He squeezed his eyes shut and covered them with his arm, letting loose a string of curses.

' A blinding spell? Even with so much of his power suppressed?'

He darted blindly to the right, feeling vulnerable staying in one spot. As he moved, he sent a barrage of fire balls in the place he last knew the princling to be, more for cover than any real hope of hitting him. He lowered his arm, trying to blink the spots from his eyes. His vision hadn't fully returned, but it wasn't completely gone either. That blinding spell had packed one hell of a punch, but it didn't last long, perhaps as a result of being weakened.

It would have to be enough. He squinted at the blurred white blob he knew to be that damned brat and shot more spells. The princling waved his arms, and then gracefully began to flip and somersault through the air, effortlessly dodging each attack with the assist of what could only be a 'light as a feather' spell.

Snake saw the blurry white blob of the prince fling out his arm, and he braced himself for an attack. He was not expecting a plume of smoke to engulf the prince, obscuring him from view.

Snake hastily called forth a wind spell, blowing the smoke away, but the spot where Prince Kaito had stood was now empty.

"Did you really think you would get away with taking what is mine?"

Snake whipped his head to the left, squinting but not seeing anything.

"I'll never forgive you for what you have done."

Now to the right. Snake gnashed his teeth. He wouldn't have thought teleportation spells would be possible either while someone was wearing a magic limiter.

He began to back himself into a corner of the cave. If he could protect his back, then Phantom KID would have no choice but to come at him from the front.

He felt a tap on his shoulder before a voice from right behind him said, "Boo."Comment by null: 2 total reactions Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-08-05 20:30 PM Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-08-05 20:30 PM

He jumped as if it had been a shout. "You damn—"

"Well that was fun, but I grow tired of these games. Why don't you just surrender so that I can take my beloved and go back home?"

Snake fired off more haphazard spells, forcing Phantom KID to retreat and put distance between them. "I won't let you stop me, KID!" Snake ment by Valerie Burk: lol my brain forgot that they would still call him KID here

"But it would seem that I have already won," the prince replied before holding up his hand, showing something that was resting on his palm.

Snake rubbed his eyes and squinted, just barely able to make out the shape of the crystal flower. The one that should be burrowing into Prince Shinichi's chest. He thought he saw the smirk on that damn prince's face widen, then in a flash, the crystal went up in a quick burst of flames, and it was gone.

"NO!"

'He wouldn't have been able to remove the crystal so easily. It had to have been a trick!'

Snake turned and ran for the statue. He skidded to a halt and clamored to the side of the urn, leaning in to inspect Prince Shinichi's chest. Was that mark he saw from the wound created by the sword, or was that the crystal he was seeing? He cursed that blinding spell for taking his sight. He reached out a hand. If he couldn't see, he would just have to feel for himself.

"You lose, Snake."

Snake's movements halted as he looked up, and met the open eyes of Prince Shinichi. He felt a jab as something pricked his skin, then everything went ment by Valerie Burk: this whole scene was awesome 1 total reaction Megan H reacted with at 2024-08-06 16:50 PM

0-0-0-0-0 chapter 8

Shinichi pushed Snake's unconscious body away from him, the man landing on the cave floor with a thud. He stood up from inside the urn, frowning in discomfort as the cool air chilled the bare skin of his chest and his soaked pants clung to him. He grasped the rim of the urn, ready to climb out, pausing when a white gloved hand appeared to help him down.

"Great work, Meitantei." KID stood before him, dressed as Phantom and smiling broadly. He gave Shinichi a wink before he was covered by a cloud of smoke. When it disappeared, he was back in his own KID suit.

Shinichi accepted the steadying hand, and climbed down. "All I did was poke him with Shiho's magic-imbued sleeping dart. You're the one who did all the hard work. That flashbang you threw at the start really saved us! Without that, Snake would have noticed Phantom sneaking me into position under his weakened cloaking charm for sure. Not to mention we didn't get the fake crystal flower or the make-up wound on my chest quite right."

"Such flattery from my favorite detective! I never thought I would see the day!"

Shinichi playfully punched his shoulder. "Shut up! I can give credit where credit is due. But why did Snake look so bewildered when you were dodging his fireballs?" He bent and retrieved his shirt which had been hidden behind the statue. He pulled it on, rubbing his arms when the thin material did little to warm him.

KID removed his cape and wrapped it around Shinichi's shoulders. Shinichi pulled the material closer gratefully. "I'm not sure," KID answered with a snicker, "It's almost like he's never seen acrobatics before. Did you see his confusion when I was throwing my voice? But my favorite has to have been the look on his face after I burnt up the 'origami crystal' made of flash paper."

Shinichi allowed himself a chuckle, but he sobered quickly. KID's own grin faded as well, and they both sent worried glances at Phantom, who was a few paces away from them. The prince had spread his own cape on the cave floor, and was leaning over Prince Shinichi, who was lying on top of the white material.

Phantom had delicately removed the crystal flower, following Shiho's instructions to the letter, but Prince Shinichi still had yet to open his eyes.

"Do you think we were too late?" Shinichi asked in a low voice, "The Volley Comet hasn't passed yet, but…"

Shiho had warned them that even if they rescued Prince Shinichi before his heart was crystalized, the strain of the ritual might still be too much for him.

"He's not dead," Phantom answered, his voice low but still carrying to reach them, "But… he's been under the effects of the ritual for far too long."

Shinichi slowly approached, KID following behind him, and looked down at the sleeping prince. It was uncanny. The prince really looked exactly like him, the similarities going beyond even identical twins. He knew KID had borrowed his face for disguises before, but they still had their differences if one only took the time to look. Even when Hattori had used a mask to disguise as him, or that man had gotten plastic surgery to look like him, the face hadn't been exactly right. But with the prince, the only difference he saw was perhaps less muscle tone in his legs. A small, distracted part of Shinichi's mind wondered if Clover Kingdom had soccer.

"He's my mirror, right?" Shinichi asked, drawing Phantom's gaze, "Then if he's anything like me, he hasn't given up. It doesn't matter if the odds are against us. Even if there is a 0.01% chance of surviving, then we will."Comment by Valerie Burk: (believe me, i know from experience! )Comment by Valerie Burk: i was trying to look up to verify the actual (stated) % failure rate of the aptx, but i CAN'T FIND IT and i'm so annoyed lol

KID rested a hand on Phantom's shoulder. "And as my mirror, I know you won't give up either. If someone says it's impossible, then you will find another way, or if you have to, you'll create one yourself."

Phantom's eyes widened momentarily before hardening in resolve. He reached down and pulled the black ring off his finger. Then he gathered the sleeping prince into his arms, holding him close. "The Sword of Eternal Slumber puts its victims into a sleep that the victim can't wake from naturally. They say the only way to break its effects is for another to call out to their magic, and guide them back to the waking world. But if the victim has been asleep for too long, their soul will be lost, too far gone for the call to reach.

"But Shinichi and I have shared our magic, shared our very souls," Phantom continued, and his body began to glow, as if he was surrounded by a golden aura, "As long as he still draws breath, I will always find him."

Phantom leaned forward, and captured Prince Shinichi's lips in a kiss. Shinichi meant to look away, but froze and watched in fascination as the sleeping prince's own body began to glow as well. Dimly at first, but rapidly growing brighter. His own golden aura, a couple shades different in color from Phantom's, seemed to mix and intermingle with Phantom's own, almost as if in a caress. In another few moments, Shinichi could hardly tell where Phantom's aura ended and Prince Shinichi's began. Comment by Valerie Burk: *pushes up my _well actually_ color theory nerd /blog/tint-vs-shade-hue-tone (i'm not actually suggesting you change this; i'm just being a pain in the ass) 1 total reaction Megan H reacted with at 2024-08-06 17:02 PM

Then, the sound of someone taking a gasping breath, as if they'd just surfaced from deep underwater.

Phantom drew back immediately, and Shinichi realized that sound had come from Prince Shinichi. He saw his eyes flutter open, blinking in confusion as he met Phantom's gaze.

"My prince?"

He missed Phantom's response because the next moment, KID had lifted him into the air and was spinning him in celebration, laughing joyfully. For half a frantic moment, Shinichi thought about protesting, the treatment feeling too reminiscent of how people manhandled him as Conan. Then he decided he really didn't care, his own laughter joining in with KID's.

Then KID lowered him back down, but he didn't release him, instead choosing to hug Shinichi close. His hand cupped the back of Shinichi's head, buried in his hair. Shinichi's own arms had automatically wrapped around Kaito's shoulders, holding him just as tightly. They stayed like that for a moment, and even without the ability to share magic, Shinichi still felt like he could almost feel KID's happiness.

KID drew back enough to see his face. Shinichi saw KID's eyes flick down and linger on his lips. Shinichi felt his face warm, but he tilted his face up in a silent offer. KID began to lean toward him, and Shinichi found himself doing the ment by Valerie Burk: do you have Kaito being taller than him in this fic?Comment by Valerie Burk: or i guess just in your head canon. sincei'm quite sure it's not been directly addressed in the fic anywhereComment by Megan H: I'm pretty sure I mentioned it somewhere? Not KID specifically, but Phantom. And KID and Phantom would be the same height 1 total reaction Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-08-10 17:57 PM

"Kaito!? What did you do? Why are there two of us?"

Shinichi jolted and sprang apart from KID.

"Aw, darling, did you have to interrupt them? I think they were about to kiss~"

Prince Shinichi was complaining, something about Phantom's perverted fantasies, and Shinichi decided he really didn't want to hear any details. He loudly announced he was going to restrain Snake, something they probably should have done already, and then he was leaving this cave with or without them.

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi stood with KID over the now restrained Snake, keeping an eye on the still unconscious man. Both princes stood next to them, though their attention was on the statue rather than their defeated enemy.

"I can't believe it's been 6 months," Prince Shinichi said, speaking softly. "From my perspective, I saw a crazy man with a hideous mustache appear from nowhere and charge me with a black sword. I raised a shield spell, but his sword cut right through it. When I next reopened my eyes, I was here, feeling like no time had passed. But you're telling me I actually spent most of the last 6 months in that urn, and this statue was supposed to turn my heart into a magic gem that granted immortality?"

He brought one hand up to cover the wound on his chest protectively, the action seemingly unconscious on his part. From what Shinichi had seen prior to his awakening, the wound had shown no signs of either tissue granulation or necrosis, as if the wound had been kept in stasis. But now that he was awake, the skin around the wound was beginning to pink, as if inflamed. His instincts told him this was a good sign that the wound could be healed. They should probably have him seen by a healer at the castle before it got infected.

"We don't even know if it would have worked. The Volley Comet, which was to be the catalyst that crystallized your heart, was less than an hour away. After finally finding you again, I almost lost you permanently," Phantom replied solemnly.

"But you didn't. And there's no way it would have worked—"

"No," KID interrupted, "Even if it hadn't worked, there are those who would believe it should have worked. They'll think something must have gone wrong with the ritual, and they'll try again."

Phantom met his eyes, and both men shared a look of understanding.

Phantom turned back to the statue and placed his palm on its shoulder. Shinichi heard a loud crack, then the statue shattered, large pieces exploding away from them. "There will be those who still seek immortality, but they will never be able to use this method again."

They all stared at the statue's ruined remains, before Phantom finally tore his gaze away. He took Prince Shinichi's hand in his own, and began to walk for the cave's exit. "Our business here is done. Let's go."

Shinichi started to follow, but paused. He'd spotted the head of the statue, which still remained largely intact. He could see a peaceful smile on the statue's face. That was strange. He'd only gotten a quick glance at the statue before Phantom had pulled Prince Shinichi out of the jar and Shinichi had taken his place, but he was pretty sure the statue had looked more sorrowful.

"Shinichi, are you coming?"

He startled, still not used to hearing his given name from KID. He'd liked it when KID called him Tantei-kun, the little nickname showing that he was someone significant to KID.

But he might like it when he called him Shinichi even more.

"Coming, Kaito," he answered, jogging the short distance to catch up. KID waited for him, flashing him a brilliant smile. Shinichi slowed back to a walk as he drew even with KID. "What about Snake? We can't just leave him here."

Phantom's growl echoed back to them from up ahead. "That bastard can rot here."

Prince Shinichi's answer followed more calmly, "Our dragon mounts can't hold more than two riders each, and teleportation may be more than either Kaito or myself can handle at this time. Once we return, we will give the cave's location to the palace guards and send them to make the arrest."

"Right… the dragon mounts. How could I forget?" Shinichi asked, feeling his stomach flutter.

KID snickered next to him. "What's wrong, Tantei-kun? Afraid of heights? You never seemed to have an issue when I carried you with my glider."

"N-no, of course not." Shinichi felt his face heat as he remembered the ride to the cave. Phantom had offered with a cheeky grin that Shinichi could ride with him, causing KID to glower at him. Shinichi knew that the flirting was meaningless, and he also suspected Phantom was doing it just to needle KID. So he'd declined Phantom's offer and climbed onto the second dragon behind KID.

Phantom had assured them that riding dragons was similar to riding horses, something else Shinichi had no experience in, then reminded them that their mount was highly trained to follow Phantom's, and they needed only to hold on. Then he'd whistled sharply, and both dragons had taken off. Comment by Valerie Burk: also very similar to going on trail rides with horses!Comment by Megan H: exactly!

He hadn't been prepared. Both dragons had kicked off on powerful legs, rocketing them into the air with the assistance of a mighty flap of their large wings. Shinichi had yelped and thrown his arms around KID's middle. Then at the height of their jump, the dragons flapped their wings a few more times to gain altitude, before gliding on thermals.

The gliding was steadier, more familiar. Occasionally, the dragons would flap their wings more, jostling them a bit, but they coasted for most of the flight. Once he'd gotten over the initial fright, Shinichi had relaxed his grip around KID's waist, and tried to focus instead on their upcoming rescue mission, and not how warm KID felt, or how nice he smelled.

"Dragon flight is just a rougher experience than I'm used to. I didn't really like it," he lied.

"That's too bad, I found it quite enjoyable," KID said with a little smile.

Shinichi averted his eyes and didn't reply, and a comfortable silence fell between them as they continued to the cave's exit. Shinichi could see Phantom and Prince Shinichi a short distance ahead. It looked like they were still holding hands.

"So now that we have rescued your royal doppelganger, what's next, Meitantei?"

What was his next lead to finding his way home?

"We question Snake. It can't be a coincidence that I was summoned here while he had kidnapped this world's version of me. My instincts are telling me that he's related to me being here."

KID nodded. "So once Shiho's sleeping poison wears off, we will hopefully have more answers. We could potentially be going home in just a few hours."

Home.

Back to their world, without magic. Shiho's spell that blocked the apoptoxin from affecting his body would disappear, and he would shrink again. He would return to his normal life as Conan, living as a grade schooler while searching for the Black Org in secret. But maybe this detour adventure had helped him gain something very important: a new ally.

At least… that's how he felt. But did KID feel the same way? KID had told him that he trusted him, and Shinichi had offered to hear his story. They were even on a first name basis with each other. When they got back to their world, would their relationship go back to what it had been before? Just thief and detective?

Shinichi shook his head. He didn't want that to happen. He wouldn't let that happen. He had to talk to KID, to Kaito, before they went home.

Back in the cave, you thought he was going to kiss you.

He had. When he'd been reminded of their audience, he'd felt embarrassment of course, but he'd also felt disappointed that they'd been interrupted. He'd wanted Kaito to kiss him. But did Kaito feel the same way? Sure, it had looked like he was about to kiss him, and even before that, there had been moments… but was it possible he was misreading things?

He was interrupted from his thoughts by a deep rumbling growl.

He took off running before his brain had even caught up. Phantom and Prince Shinichi had already exited the cave ahead of them, and the noise had come from the cave's entrance. Some sort of ambush?

He emerged from the cave, KID right behind him, and stopped at what he saw.

One of their dragon mounts, the one he and KID had ridden, was happily nuzzling his face into Prince Shinichi's chest, its wings quivering in what he assumed to be excitement. The newly awakened prince was speaking to the dragon in a low voice and roughly scratching it behind the horns and under its beard. Phantom stood nearby watching with a soft smile on his face. Shinichi realized the noise he'd heard hadn't been a growl, but rather a deep whine. The dragon pulled away and began to lick Prince Shinichi's face, reminding Shinichi of a large overgrown ment by Valerie Burk: it occurs to me that when there was the whole debate of if he was Phantom's Shinichi or not, they could have just had the dragon be the judge. He definitely could tell the two of them apart!

"Stop it, you big brute," Prince Shinichi laughed, "I missed you too."

The dragon let out another whine, a rather strange noise from such a large beast, and lowered itself to the ground flat on its belly.

Prince Shinichi smiled and shook his head. "Not yet, my friend. I'm going to ride with my prince. But I've been informed that our guests have never ridden before today. I want you to take good care of them, and protect them as if they were me."

The dragon gave a huff, blowing a plume of smoke from its nostrils. Prince Shinichi gave him one last scritch behind his horns, then walked back to Phantom, who was already seated on his own dragon. Phantom's eyes hadn't once left the other prince, the look on his face one of pure adoration. As the prince drew close, Phantom offered his hand to steady Prince Shinichi as he climbed on, an action that was probably unnecessary since his dragon had lowered itself much the same way as the other dragon had. Prince Shinichi took the hand anyway, and Phantom placed a kiss to the back of it before helping his fiancé take his seat. Prince Shinichi wrapped his arms around Phantom's middle, and Shinichi saw Phantom close his eyes, as if savoring the moment.

He pulled his gaze away, feeling like he was intruding on a private moment, and saw KID looking at them in interest before he too turned away, looking at Shinichi instead.

"It's a… a little strange seeing two people that look exactly like us doing stuff like that, isn't it?" Shinichi tried to joke.

KID looked thoughtful. "I don't know. Maybe it's not that strange at all."

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi closed the door behind him carefully, trying to make as little noise as possible so as to not disturb anyone else. After they had returned to the castle and the guards had retrieved Snake, they had nothing more to do until the man woke from Shiho's sleeping poison. Phantom and Prince Shinichi had quickly disappeared, to nobody's surprise. A maid had offered him and KID rooms to lie down, and seeing as it was currently the middle of the night and Snake had still shown no signs of waking, they'd taken her up on the offer.

He'd tried to nap, but found his mind was still too active after their successful rescue mission to let him rest. Maybe a walk around the castle could help clear his mind.

With no destination in mind, he meandered the halls until he found himself outside of what appeared to be the castle's library. Well, books were always good at helping him relax. He made his way inside.

The library had been dark, probably due to the late hour, but numerous lanterns sprang to life when he entered. Probably some sort of spell. He looked around at the many shelves, already feeling himself start to relax. He chose a shelf at random, walking down the row, gently running his fingers along the spines of the books he passed. It looked like the section he was in was full of books on magical beasts. Undoubtedly interesting subject matter, but not what he was looking for at the moment. Comment by Valerie Burk: (He laughed ruefully at himself for immediately thinking 'spell' as opposed to 'motion sensor.' Adjusting back to his own world would surely be interesting.)

The sound of approaching footsteps made him turn. "I thought I might find you here. The maids told me you'd left your room. This is where I like to come when I can't sleep, and you are, after all, my mirror," Prince Shinichi said.

For a moment, Shinichi wondered if he wasn't allowed to be in here, but the prince didn't look at all upset. "Was there a reason you were looking for me? Your Highness?" he tacked on the end awkwardly.

Prince Shinichi waved him off. "Please, it's strange being addressed as such by my mirror. Besides, I am no prince of yours."

He thought it would be just as weird to call him by the name they shared, like he was talking to himself, but didn't say those thoughts out loud.

"Might I have a moment of your time?" At Shinichi's nod, the prince led them both to a nearby seating area.

Shinichi couldn't help but stare. The man in front of him looked and sounded exactly like him. But their mannerisms were completely different. His mirror held himself with a sort of regal grace that spoke of his royal upbringing. And yet sometimes there would be something familiar in the way he moved, or the cadence of his speech, that reminded Shinichi of himself. The entire effect created a bizarre picture of someone who looked exactly like him while also looking like his own person at the same time.

"It's rather uncanny, isn't it? As if looking into a mirror that's been distorted," Prince Shinichi said, unknowingly echoing his own thoughts.

"I don't know if I can even call this the weirdest thing I have experienced since coming to this world, but it's definitely up there," he replied.

Prince Shinichi smiled politely. "Yes, I'm sure. I'm told the world you come from doesn't have magic. I understand you were brought here by an unknown individual against your will, and upon your arrival, my fiancé misplaced the burden of his emotions on you. I apologize for his poor conduct."

"He was mourning what he thought was your loss. He obviously cares about you very much."

Prince Shinichi looked down at his hands in his lap, a soft smile on his face. For a moment, the mask slipped, and it was no longer a stoic prince sitting across from him, but a young man in love.

"My fiancé has also spoken highly of the part you played in my liberation. My Kaito can be a bit hyperbolic at times, but from my understanding, you were single handedly responsible for realizing I was alive, and coming up with the plan for my retrieval while my fiancé was a weeping mess."

"Ah, no it wasn't just me. I had a lot of help from my Kaito—" he abruptly cut himself off when heard what he'd said. He'd meant his world's Kaito.

"Then I must speak with him as well. But for now, allow me to express my gratitude. None of this was your concern, but you still went out of your way to help us. In return, I pledge to help you find a way back to your world in whatever way I may assist. I know my fiancé and the king will also do the same."

"You don't need to thank me. I can never let a crime go unsolved, especially when a life is on the line, and if I can help someone, I will."

Prince Shinichi smiled at him, "Then in that way, you and I are the same." Seemingly finished with what he wanted to say, he changed the subject, "Other than my fiancé's uncouth behavior, have you found your stay at Clover Kingdom comfortable? I imagine our world must be very different from your own."

Shinichi let out a snort before he could catch himself. " Very different. I mean, I never in my life would have guessed I might one day fly on a dragon. Those creatures are myths where I'm from."

The prince chuckled. "Even in my world, there are still those who have never ridden a dragon. I hope riding my Watson wasn't too unpleasant for you."

"Watson?"

"Oh, that's what I call my dragon. I named him after a character in my favorite book series—"

"Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle!" Shinichi answered, forgetting himself in his excitement.

"You have heard of them?" Prince Shinichi asked, leaning forward looking equally excited, the princely mask slipping away once again.

"Heard of them? I must have read them a dozen times by now! I can practically recite some passages by heart!"

"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable…"

"Must be the truth," Shinichi finished with a large grin.

The conversation became Holmes dominated after that. Shinichi found it fascinating that though the book series had its obvious differences, seeing as this world's version of the books was created in a world with magic, the plot points and the characters still remained largely the same.

"I still don't understand. In a world where magic is real and anything is possible, how would Holmes rule out the impossible?" he asked.

"Magic still has rules its held govern to. It only seems strange because you haven't studied it. Just the same as your world relying on electricity and technology in the place of magic," the prince responded, "I don't even know how you function in the morning without an energy potion."

"I drink something called coffee. It's made from a special kind of bean that is steeped in hot water. The filtered liquid has caffeine in it, which is a stimulant that increases brain activity and stimulates the nervous system," Shinichi answered.

"Fascinating. And you are quite sure these beans have no magical properties?"

Shinichi shrugged. "I'm pretty sure my world doesn't have any magic… well, at least that's what I had always thought. But then my world's Kaito said he was transported to this world by a witch from our world. Now I don't know what to believe. But if magic does exist, it's not known to the greater public."

"Speaking of your world's Kaito, well… I suppose I don't want to pry."

Shinichi looked at the prince for a moment, before letting out a sigh. If he couldn't talk about this with his mirror, who could he discuss it with? "We aren't together, if that's what you are wondering. Our relationship is… complicated. We met as enemies standing on opposite sides of the law. Now I think he has his reasons for what he is doing, and I know he isn't a bad guy. We've teamed up a few times in the past; he's even saved my life on more than one occasion. But before coming to this world, our relationship was more like… that of rivals, I guess."Comment by Valerie Burk: (Haibara? LOL no thanks.)

"And now?" Prince Shinichi prompted.

Shinichi gave a small shrug. "I don't know. I like him but… Until recently, I thought I was in love with my childhood friend. Then when I realized I wasn't, I went into denial, trying to pretend nothing had changed. When I finally faced the truth, it hurt. I guess I'm scared of going through all of that again. I don't even know if he feels the same way, or if I'm just seeing the signs I want to see."

"I can understand trying to protect yourself from a broken heart," Prince Shinichi answered sympathetically, "I too once held such concerns. I built up walls around myself, earning the nickname "'the Ice Prince' behind my back. But then I met Kaito, and he stubbornly chipped away at my walls, determined to reach me. I only lowered my walls for him a little, but once I let my guard down, he vaulted over them and stole my heart. But he gave me his own in return, so I can't say I'm displeased."

Shinichi turned away, a small blush on his face. "I never thought I would hear such sappy things come out of my mouth."

"As for if your Kaito feels the same way towards you, I can't say I know for sure, but I can tell you he looks at you the same as my Kaito looked at me when he first began to court me."

Shinichi felt his blush darken. Had KID been giving him looks? He hadn't noticed. Except, well now that someone else had pointed it out to him…

"What you do is ultimately your choice. But I encourage you to be open and honest with yourself about your feelings, and give your Kaito that same courtesy. If it leads to love, it can be truly rewarding," the prince said with an encouraging smile. Then he raised his voice a bit louder. "Are you going to hide in the shadows all night, or are you going to come out to join us?"

For a moment, there was no answer, then Phantom appeared out of nowhere, perched on the prince's lap. "I was sure I had gotten my anti-detection spells right that time. How did you know I was there?" he asked with a challenging grin.

"I didn't," the prince responded with a grin of his own, "it was simply a guess because I knew you wouldn't leave me alone for too long. Especially after just getting me back. How long were you there?"

Phantom's grin only grew. "For most of it, I think."

Prince Shinichi flicked his nose, causing Phantom to rear back with a yelp. "Eavesdropping is rude."

"Am I fully to blame? I woke up to find my bed empty again after just getting you back, no messenger dove in sight, of course I thought the worst!"

Prince Shinichi's look of annoyance started to slip, morphing to a guilty face.

"So I go off looking for you, and I find you here speaking as if an excited child that's just made a new friend! And those beautiful things you said about our love, and the way I stole your heart, it was so adorable I think I've fallen for you even harder," Phantom gushed.

Prince Shinichi shoved Phantom off his lap, and he landed on the floor with a graceless thump. He made as if to stand, but stopped when Phantom was suddenly looming over him with his hands on the arms of the chair, trapping him in his seat. "Still, that was naughty of you to leave our bed without leaving a note. Next time, I'll just have to tire you out more, so that you can't leave for hours."

Shinichi quickly stood. "Well, it was a nice chat, but I think I'm starting to feel a little tired now. I'll just go back to my room. Good night!"

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi rounded a corner on the way back to his room, and almost bumped into KID.

"Kaito! What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you. You weren't in your room."

Shinichi raised a brow. "How did you know I wasn't in my room unless you went in there?"

KID opened his mouth, then closed it again.

"Creepy-san."

KID scowled, "I am not like that creep. But that's not important. Where were you? You shouldn't wander around this giant castle alone at night."

"It's fine, I wasn't alone. I was with Prince Shinichi."

"Oh. I'm a little surprised. I wouldn't have thought Yandere-san would let him out of his sight. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I guess I just couldn't sleep. Then he found me, and we started talking."

"I see. What's he like? Is he anything like you?"

Shinichi shrugged. "Yes? But, he's also different too. We mostly talked about Holmes."

"I bet you enjoyed that. Sounds like you must have really gotten along," KID said with a warm smile that made Shinichi's stomach flip flop. "Are you alright, Shinichi? Your face is starting to turn red. Did you perhaps talk about something else as well~"

Shinichi sputtered.

"I'm just teasing you; you don't have to tell me," KID laughed while waving his hand between them.

"We talked about you."

"Eh?" KID said, looking surprised.

"He told me I need to be open and honest. So… here it goes. Kaito, when we return to our world, I don't want to return to our usual relationship of thief and detective," he proclaimed, then he waited.

KID's eyebrows were raised high, then they settled back into their normal position. "Well, that works out for me as well. If you recall, I did say that I would trust you. I think we make great allies. Unless… there was something more you wanted?"

Shinichi suddenly realized how close KID was standing, and wondered how he'd closed the distance between them without him noticing.

"Meitantei, the truth is, I am also no longer satisfied with our current relationship. I too have been wanting more."

KID took another step forward. Now there was barely a hair's breadth between them. Shinichi could feel his heart racing in his chest.

"Do you want the same, Shinichi?"

He was close enough to kiss.

"Kaito…"

"There you both are! We've—oh, pardon me," Prince Shinichi said, sounding embarrassed.

Shinichi pulled away, his face feeling like it was on fire.

"My love," Phantom said with a snicker, "I think you have interrupted them once again."

"It's fine. You said you were looking for us?" Shinichi trailed off at the end as he turned to face them and noticed the marks on Prince Shinichi's neck. Marks that hadn't been there when he'd last seen the other man.

"Looks like we weren't the only ones who were interrupted," KID commented, "So this must be important."

Prince Shinichi looked confused. Shinichi felt his eyes flick down to his mirror's neck before he could stop himself, then he hurriedly looked away. But it was already too late.

"Kaito!"

"Now, my love. There will be time for this later. Don't forget the reason we were searching for them in the first place," Phantom said with a placating grin.

Prince Shinichi shot him one last filthy glare before turning back to the two of them. "It's Snake. We've received a messenger dove that he's awake. We thought you might want to be present for his questioning."

0-0-0-0-0 chapter 9

Shinichi nursed his tea with his elbows resting on the table in front of him, wishing for the umpteenth time for a cup of coffee. They'd been listening in on Snake's interrogation for hours and were taking a break. Maybe he should ask Prince Shinichi for one of those energy potions he'd mentioned. KID was seated next to him with his hat tipped to cover his eyes and his arms folded across his chest. He appeared to be sleeping, except for the fact that his chair was tipped back and balanced on only two legs.

He looked up as the door opened. From the corner of his eye he saw KID hook his thumb under the brim of his hat and lift it from his eyes in mild interest. Shinichi grimaced at Phantom and Prince Shinichi's shared look of irritation. "Still no luck?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

Prince Shinichi responded with a shake of his head, "I am afraid he is still refusing to cooperate."

"We were able to confirm that Snake was not the one to summon you," Phantom said, "He's not powerful enough."

"He claims to know the person who did the summoning—,"

"Which could be a lie," Phantom interrupted.

"—But he refuses to tell us who it is," Prince Shinichi finished.

Shinichi briefly thought over the information. "For now, we should operate as if he is telling the truth. He's our only lead. We need to figure out how to get him to talk."

"Our prospects look grim," Prince Shinichi stated, "We have nothing to bargain with, and Snake knows it. If not for the severity of his crimes, we could pledge a lighter sentence in exchange for information. But he made an attempt on my life, the betrothed of Clover Kingdom's prince. He'll be tried for treason, an automatic life sentence. We could offer to make his sentence more comfortable, but… "

"He doesn't deserve it. After what he tried, that bastard should be left in a small, dark, windowless cell and given only moldy bread," Phantom growled, his expression dark. He added, as an afterthought, "Besides, he would never go for it. We bruised his ego by stopping him, this is the last thing he has against us. One last victory he can hold over us."

"What about a truth potion? Are truth potions a real thing?" KID asked.

Prince Shinichi answered, "They are, but they aren't as helpful as you might think. They only make the drinker unable to lie. They don't compel the drinker to speak."

"So we need a way to either convince or trick him into giving us the information. The only question is how." Shinichi asked.

The four fell into silence.

"Kaito, can I speak with you for a moment?" Shinichi asked KID.

"I'll send a messenger dove to my father, maybe he will have some insight," Phantom offered before leaving the room.

"I'll send one to Hakuba and Hattori as well," Prince Shinichi said before following.

Once they were gone, KID turned to him with an inquisitive look.

Shinichi bit his lip, feeling hesitant. "Kaito, I may have a block on me, but you can ask to be sent home at any time. We have no idea how much longer it's going to take to find the person who summoned me, and you've already done so much to help me. I know you were sent here to 'rescue me' or something, but I don't seem to be in any danger anymore. I… would understand if you wanted to go home."

"Shinichi, where is this coming from? I can't go home yet. What if you need my help?" KID asked with a small, teasing grin.

"It's just… I don't want you to have to wait anymore," Shinichi said, no longer able to meet his eyes. "I've made the people in my life wait long enough. I can't ask that of you as well. It would be selfish of me. I know that you have something you are trying to do, some goal you are trying to accomplish as KID. I don't want to stand in your way."

"I don't mind waiting," KID answered, his smile no longer teasing but instead warm.

"But what if… what if you're waiting a really long time?"

"I would wait, and I would be there to help however I could. Even if I had to wait a really long time," KID answered. He reached between them and took Shinichi's hand in his own. "Even if I had to wait, say, ten years. I would still wait."

Shinichi could feel his heart pounding. There was less space between them than he remembered. "But what about your mission? Your goals? Your life?"

KID shrugged nonchalantly. "Wouldn't be as fun without my favorite detective. Besides, aren't you discounting your own dreams? Don't you still need to find those people who shrank you? You offered to hear my story and help me, and I'll do the same for you. If we work together, we can both accomplish our dreams."

Shinichi smiled, feeling warm. He suddenly felt a lot more hopeful about his situation. "Thank you," he replied softly.

KID gave his hand a squeeze. He leaned in, moving slowly as if offering Shinichi a chance to pull away. Shinichi's slowly normalizing heart began to race again. He closed his eyes and began to lean in as well.

Only to immediately throw them open again. He shot to his feet, nearly missing bashing into KID's nose in the process. "Dreams! That's it!"

"What's it, Meitantei?" KID asked, reclining back in his seat again, looking equal parts amused and disappointed.

"Is everything okay?" Prince Shinichi said as he rushed back into the room, Phantom at his heels looking around for a threat. "We heard you shout."

"I know how we can get the information from Snake," Shinichi said excitedly, "Prince Kaito, you can look into his dreams."

Both princes exchanged a glance, looking thoughtful.

"How do you know that's something he can do?" KID asked with narrowed eyes.

Shinichi kicked his foot under the table. "Later."

"Okay, let's try it," Phantom agreed.

0-0-0-0-0

Shinichi stood with Prince Shinichi and KID, watching Phantom intently. They'd already used another one of Shiho's sleeping darts on Snake, and now Phantom was seated next to him, one hand resting on his shoulder. Phantom's eyes were closed, and Shinichi could see them moving rapidly under his eyelids.

"Is it… uncomfortable?" Shinichi asked, just above a whisper so as to not disrupt Phantom.

Prince Shinichi shook his head. "No, but he's told me before that reading someone else's dreams can induce a sort of vertigo. Dreams are hard enough to understand. Someone else's dreams, even more so."

Shinichi nodded and continued to wait in silence.

After continuing to wait for some time, he was just beginning to doubt his plan, when Phantom finally opened his eyes. He promptly stood and turned to face them, his face impassive.

"I know who it was."

"Who?" Prince Shinichi asked.

"The Red Witch."

Shinichi saw KID stiffen in surprise.

Prince Shinichi looked weary. "What reason could she possibly have to aid Snake? They are not allies to my knowledge."

Phantom shrugged. "Let's find out, shall we? You alert the palace guards. I'll summon her here."

The prince nodded and sent off a messenger dove.

"What's going on? Is this person an enemy?" Shinichi asked.

Phantom seemed to consider his question. "No, but we aren't exactly friends either. We've learned that we get along fine so long as we ignore each other. I leave her alone as long as she doesn't do any illegal magic, and she leaves me alone as long as I don't get in her way."

"Yeah, that sounds about right," KID muttered.

"Your Highness," Hakuba and Hattori said as they teleported into the room, giving a low bow. "We are ready."

"Guard these two," Phantom ordered while nodding his head at Shinichi and KID, "Without magic, they're the most vulnerable." He raised his voice, and Shinichi could almost feel the way it carried, intended to reach its recipient, no matter how far. "Sorceress Akako! I hereby drop the wards that keep you out of the palace. I wish to have a word."

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the ground seemed to open and red light spilled out. A cloud of scarlet smoke rose from the ground, and for a wild moment, Shinichi wondered if Phantom had summoned a demon from hell. The smoke began to dissipate, and from it emerged the figure of a woman.

" You summon me when the last time we spoke, you were holding me against my will in that hovel you call a guest house? How bold."

Prince Shinichi moved closer to Phantom, asking in a low voice, "What incident does she speak of?"

"Your Highness," Akako addressed Prince Shinichi while curtsying. Though her posture was perfect, the action seemed somehow mocking. "I am gladdened to see you have returned."

"After Snake… while you were gone, I was having difficulty controlling my magic. I tried to seek Akako's aid. She was being uncooperative, so I had her take an 'involuntary retreat' in the guest house until she came to her senses. When she'd disappeared, I assumed she'd found a way to slip the wards. I should have known it wasn't a coincidence that she disappeared the same time as Shinichi was summoned here."

Akako rested one hand on her hip and looked around, an amused glint in her eye, looking from Snake's unconscious form, to the two princes standing close to each other, before finally landing on KID and Shinichi, standing guarded by Hattori and Hakuba. "Wonderful! I see everyone is here."

"So you aren't going to try to deny it? You summoned another world's Shinichi here?" Phantom pressed.

"I did."

"Why?"

"Oh, but you see? I had no choice~ Snake appeared before me and threatened me. He wished to give you another Shinichi to play with, something to distract you."

Phantom snorted. "As if a man as weak as Snake could ever be a threat to you."

Akako shrugged, "I appreciate the flattery, but I don't have a different answer for you."

Phantom growled, but Prince Shinichi stopped him with a hand on his arm. "We are not interested in your motives. Will you remove the block you have placed on the alternate Shinichi so that he may return home?"

Akako hummed and turned her attention to Shinichi. "Seeing as the balance has been restored, I suppose this world has no more use for you. But your job isn't done. You still have to defeat the shadows that have long upset the balance between light and dark in your world as well."

"Is that the real reason you brought me here? To restore this "balance" you speak of?" Shinichi asked. Akako only gave him a mysterious smile. When she remained silent, Shinichi asked, "Why me?"

"Because no matter how the odds may be stacked against you, you refuse to give up until justice has been brought to light, and you cannot ignore a plea for help, no matter if the person asking is a criminal or an innocent," Akako answered.

Shinichi shook his head. "There are others who would do the same."

"Perhaps," Akako replied, her smile stretching into an arrogant grin, "But you get results."

KID stepped forward, drawing her attention. "Alright, we get it. Tantei-kun is so good at solving cases, your world had to outsource their problems to him. That doesn't mean you can just drag him here without even asking him first."

"The Prince Thief's mirror, I thought I recognized you," Akako said with a knowing glint in her eye, "I see. When I acted, it allowed my mirror to as well, so her response was to send you. The traces of her magic are faint, but I can still read them on you. I presume you are her insurance to make sure the detective makes it back to his own world safe and sound."

"So basically, you both used us for your own selfish means," KID spat.

"Kaito," Shinichi said in warning, noticing the way the woman had frowned, and both Hattori and Hakuba had tensed. "It's fine. I don't care about any of this, I just want to go home."

"I shall remove the block that keeps you tied to this world," Akako stated. She raised her hand and grasped at the air in front of her, and suddenly she was holding a wand. She pointed the wand directly at Shinichi, but paused and cocked a brow when Hattori and Hakuba moved to cover him.

"Stand down," Phantom ordered his men. To Akako he warned, "No tricks, Akako."

Once Shinichi was clear, Akako pointed her wand at him again, and Shinichi felt his body warm. He looked at his hands and saw he was glowing with scarlet light. It only lasted for a moment, then faded.

"It is done, Your Highness," Akako said with another mocking curtsy. Before anyone could respond, red smoke rose from her feet, covering her again. When it cleared, she was gone.

0-0-0-0-0

Prince Shinichi lowered his hand and opened his eyes, having just finished examining Shinichi. "I have confirmed that the block is gone."

"Then I guess the only thing left to do is send you both home," Phantom said with a lazy grin.

"Yeah," Shinichi answered with a relieved smile, though it wilted a moment later, "I'm going to have to apologize to my friend for missing our class trip to Kyoto after promising I would be there. And I have no idea how I'm going to explain to everyone where I've been. If I try to tell them the truth, they'll just think I've lost my mind."

"So you were in Kyoto," KID said with a look of surprise. "How were you going to pull that one off with your little shrinking problem?"

"I have a prototype antidote. But how did you know about the Kyoto trip?" Asked in confusion. Then realization dawned, and his expression shifted to a deadpan. "Stalker."

"Is it stalking, or is it keeping an eye on my favorite detective?" KID asked with an innocent look.

"Definitely stalking."

Prince Shinichi looked confused trying to follow their conversation, and turned to Phantom for an explanation.

"Someone placed a curse on your mirror, shrinking his form to that of a child's. He has potions that alleviate the curse's effects, but only temporarily," Phantom explained.

"Ah," the prince replied in understanding, "I thought their world doesn't have magic?"

"It doesn't—" Shinichi insisted.

"Well, not much anyway—" Kaito responded at the same time.

"Well, I've already had Shiho examine him, and she has confirmed that there is nothing she can do for his curse. But perhaps there is something that can be done to ease your trip back to your world," Phantom offered, "We will not just send you back to your world, but back to the times you were taken from as well. It will be as if you had never left. That is… if you are willing to help me, my love."Comment by Valerie Burk: love this way of explaining the lack of time change!

Prince Shinichi looked at him in surprise. "But to send them back to their time will require a tremendous amount of power. It will require us to share our magic again. It's not that I am unwilling," he hurried to explain, "it's just that… you've seemed ashamed of the way you conducted yourself after I was taken. I feared that you may never want to share your soul with me again."

Phantom looked away, unable to meet his eyes. He let out a sigh. "It is true that I worry if you see me, all of me, you will no longer be pleased by what you find, and your love for me might diminish. But… I owe these two everything for returning you to me. This is the least I can do to thank them. Besides, I don't want to trick you into marrying me under false pretenses. You deserve to know what you are getting into. That way you can still run, if you so choose," he tried to joke, though his smile was weak, and he still wasn't meeting the other's eye.

Prince Shinichi gave him an unimpressed look, then flicked Phantom's nose. Phantom yelped in surprise, bringing one hand up to cover his nose, and gave the prince an accusing look. Shinichi noted with amusement that Prince Shinichi had gotten him to meet his eye again. "I have already told you before, nothing could ever make me stop loving you. Is there something wrong with your ears? Did you not hear me the first time?" He grabbed one of Phantom's ears and gave it a few tugs, ignoring Phantom's protests. "Do you use these for listening or are they just for show?"

"Wah, Shinichi, that hurts!" Phantom complained with tears in his eyes.

"Hmm, I guess if your hearing is defective, I'll just have to say it over and over until you finally hear me," the prince said with a small frown. He leaned forward, and placed a kiss on the shell of Phantom's red ear before whispering, "I will always love you."

Shinichi turned away, his face growing warm. He wondered if both princes had forgotten about him and KID.

"Shinichi," KID said, getting his attention, "When we return to our world, you're going to shrink again, aren't you?"

"Yes, probably right away, too. Shiho warned me that her magic will stop working in our world, and the temporary antidote I'd used before had just worn off when you saw me as Conan the other day. Luckily I still have a couple more I can use; I'll just have to hide myself somewhere while I wait for it to take effect. They'll probably be the last Haibara gives me for a while. She's warned me about building up immunity."

KID nodded.

"Alright, we are ready," Phantom announced.

"Let's get you both home," Prince Shinichi agreed.

The princes reached for each other's hand, and they both began to glow. Shinichi noticed the air seemed to have an electric charge to it. They both waved their free hand, and a portal opened up behind him and KID. He noticed that instead of the swirling vortex of colors like the portal to this world, this one was the same gold which surrounded both princes. He idly wondered if the color difference was due to the difference in magic users, or the fact that this one would also transport them through time as well as space.

"Thank you, once again, for everything you have done," Prince Shinichi said with a warm smile.

"But especially for returning my beloved to me," Phantom added, "I am in your debt."

Shinichi returned the smile. "No thanks necessary, I'm glad I was able to help. Besides, it's not like I had a completely unpleasant time."

Phantom nodded sagely. "That's right, you were able to get closer to your own Kaito—" he was cut off by Prince Shinichi's hand covering his mouth.

"Hush, your teasing is not going to help them."

Behind him, KID snorted. Shinichi turned when he felt KID take his hand. "Are you ready, Shinichi?"

Shinichi smiled and gave KID's hand a squeeze. "Yeah, let's go home, Kaito."

Hand in hand, they approached the portal together.

KID stopped them short just before they entered. Shinichi turned to him with a questioning look. "Kaito?"

In lieu of answering, KID cupped his cheek, meeting Shinichi's gaze with intent. Shinichi felt his face warm, but he smiled. He tilted his face up, silently offering.

KID leaned forward, and Shinichi met him halfway. At first the kiss was just a shy brush of the lips, but they both quickly grew more bold when the other didn't pull away. KID released his hand, and wrapped it around Shinichi's waist, holding him close, the other hand still cupping his face. Shinichi gripped KID's suit jacket tight.

They eventually parted, and Shinichi became aware of the whoops of joy coming from Phantom behind them.

" Finally!" Phantom called, before he yelped as Prince Shinichi elbowed him in the ribs.

Shinichi and KID both chuckled, then KID captured his lips in another kiss.

"That could be the last one for a while. Who knows how long it will take for me to truly regain my original body," Shinichi warned, "Are you still okay with waiting?" he asked with a teasing grin, trying to mask his worry.

"Hmmm, not yet," KID answered. Then he stole another kiss. He leaned back with a satisfied grin, "There, now I'm ready. I'll wait as long as I have to."

Shinichi's grin softened into a smile, "Thank you."

Without trading another word, they joined hands again, and entered the portal together.

0-0-0-0-0

Epilogue

Conan sighed as he entered the Detective Agency, feeling exhausted.

After everything that had happened in the other world, he'd been looking forward to a relaxing trip to Kyoto with his classmates. He really should have expected that it would be interrupted by another case. Still, just like his trip to the other world, it hadn't been all bad.

Kyoto had been beautiful, and it had been nice to get a chance to talk to Ran, Sonoko, and Sera as himself.

And Ran…

They'd finally talked.

He told her that he loved her, and he cared for her deeply, but his feelings had changed. He now only saw her as a sister. To his surprise, she'd looked relieved. She'd confessed that she'd moved on as well, and had even hinted that she was interested in someone else. He'd caught her looking back in the direction Sera and Sonoko had gone, a wistful expression on her face.

Well that was… unexpected. But he'd fully supported her. After that, he felt like they'd gotten along better than they had in ages, sans when he was Conan. Their relationship really just worked better as brother and sister, he didn't know why he hadn't seen it before.

Too soon, the temporary antidote had worn off, and instead of taking the bus back to Tokyo with his class as Shinichi, he got a lift on the back of Hattori's motorbike as Conan. He was dropped off directly at the agency. They had beaten Ran home, and Kogoro appeared to be out as well, meaning Conan was alone.

He trudged over to the couch and pulled himself up, before flopping back onto the cushions. He felt his eyelids beginning to grow heavy. Well, there was no harm in taking a nap before Ran and the old man arrived back, was there? A quick 30 minutes should be all he needed to recharge.

A noise caused him to reopen his eyes. At first he thought he thought no time had passed at all, but a look at the clock proved he must have fallen asleep.

"Conan-kun! I'm home."

Ah, so the noise had been Ran entering.

"What are you doing sleeping on the couch? Are you feeling sick?" she asked, looking concerned.

"Uh, I guess I was just having too much fun at the Professor's house, and I wore myself out!" Conan answered with a chipper smile.

"Is that all? Thank goodness. But look at you, you didn't even put your backpack away yet! Why don't you go take care of that, and I'll start on dinner," she replied, while ruffling his hair.

"Okay, Ran-neechan!" he answered, giving her an appropriately apologetic smile before leaving to put away his bag.

As soon as his back was turned to her, the smile left his face. Everything was just so… normal. Had all of that really happened? What if… no, he knew it hadn't been a dream. He was short one temporary antidote to prove it.

He would have to find some way to contact KID— no, Kaito. He still wanted to hear his story. But also… he could admit to himself he just wanted to see him again.

He hoped Kaito still felt the same way.

Lost in thought as he unpacked his backpack, he almost didn't notice his hand brush a small cloth bag. He pulled it out, and looked at it puzzled. It looked like a small coin pouch with a drawstring tie. He didn't recognize it. After opening it, he found a note written in scarlet ink.

Never let it be said that a witch doesn't repay her debts.

The note was unsigned, but he had a feeling he knew who had written it. He checked the rest of the pouch, and gasped at what he found. There, laying at the bottom, was a red and white capsule with tiny black letters printed on it.

APTX-4869

'With this… Haibara can use this to create…!'

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a knock at the door, and Ran called out that she would get it. He didn't move, continuing to stare at the pill in his palm.

That is, until he heard a familiar voice at the door.

"Good evening, sorry to arrive unannounced. I am here to visit a friend of mine, and I seem to have lost his number. Is Edogawa Conan here?"

Conan's head snapped in the direction of the door, though he couldn't see it from where he was located.

Ran answered, "Oh I see! He is. And you are?"

Conan slipped the capsule back into the pouch, and put the whole thing in his pocket. Then he rushed to the door, but stopped as soon as their guest came into view.

"My name is Kuroba Kaito," he answered, looking past Ran and meeting Conan's eye with a warm ment by null: 1 total reaction Valerie Burk reacted with at 2024-08-10 19:46 PM

Tags: # Kaishin # AU: Canon Divergence #AU: Isekai to fantasy world #Dimension Travel #Mirror Universe # Kidnapping # Love Triangle # Love Quadrangle # Happy Ending # Happy Ending for everyone #KSBB2024