"An empath? What – how many freaking supernatural types are there?" Conan asked incredulously.

Takagi shrugged. "Actually, I'm not sure. One of the older regulars at Mythical Delight would know better than I would. Or at least someone who keeps up with our information system."

They stopped in front of the old, rundown building that gave no hint of what was held inside. Takagi stepped forward and opened the door. In the entryway, a hooded figure behind the single mahogany desk nodded to them in greeting. "Master Wataru, Master Shinichi."

Conan froze. What? How could this guy know!? Beside him, Takagi looked down in surprise. He could feel the shock and horror oozing from the boy.

"Shinichi? As in Kudo Shinichi?" He nodded to himself, "Well, that makes sense. No wonder you're so good at solving crimes." Conan just blankly stared at him. "Don't worry." Takagi smiled. "We have an oath of unity we observe here. Any secret of yours will stay yours. Sub Rosa and all that." Slowly, Conan nodded.

Through all of that, the innkeeper hadn't made a single move.

"Ah – um, you mentioned an information system?" Conan asked, changing the subject.

Takagi nodded and led him through the side door and into the bar, ignoring Conan's constant over-the-shoulder glances. "Yeah, we use a magazine that's published worldwide specifically for the non-human folk."

Conan's eyebrows rose. "Published worldwide? Where from?"

"Um, Atlantis, I believe." Conan gave him a flat stare. "No, seriously. Atlantis is a city completely submerged in the Western Atlantic Ocean. It's home to all sorts of mythical creatures, though I think it's mostly the purebloods. Kind of like a royal city, you know?"

"It's a myth." Shinichi stated incredulously.

"So are vampires." Takagi stated blandly. "That is, at least, what I'm assuming you are. True, other species have fangs, but there's a lingering lust around you, one most species don't have. Well, unless you count the Naga lust for water, but I think that's a little different."

"Naga…"

"Half human, half sea serpent." Takagi smiled slightly.

"Showing the boy the ropes, Takagi-kun?" A female voice said from behind them. Shinichi jumped, not having noticed anyone approached and turned to see a beautiful woman with long reddish hair.

"Ah, Koizumi-chan. You've met?"

"Not really." Akako shrugged. "I ran into Kid-san when he brought the boy here in the first place. But I must say, this child's aura is interesting. I believe I've seen it before, inside my crystal ball." Conan looked decidedly skeptical and she smiled. "I am Koizumi Akako. Pleasure to meet you, little bloodsucker."

He wasn't sure if he should take offense at the name or not. On the one hand, it sounded bad; on the other, she didn't sound malicious. "Kudo Shinichi." He murmured without thinking. However, she didn't seem surprised by the news. How the hell did these people all seem to know!? "What – er…what are you?"

Akako giggled. "Why, I'm a witch, of course. What did you think I was?"

Conan looked stricken. Witch? He mouthed. There were witches? Seriously?

"Are we messing with the detective's head already?" A smooth voice behind him asked teasingly.

Conan jerked and spun around to find the Kaitou Kid standing there, dressed in full regalia. Why were people keep sneaking up on him!? And why couldn't he sense them? If it had something to do with him being a vampire, shouldn't his senses have sharpened rather than dimmed? After all, he should be able to smell their blood or something, shouldn't he? He certainly could now and had to stop himself from swooning at the overpowering scent of the man behind him. Why on earth was Kid's blood so appealing!?

"He's interested in learning about all the different types of non-human creatures." Takagi said, nodding his head in greeting.

"Really? You know, I think I have a back issue of Majestic Insight here somewhere that had a list." He began digging through his pockets.

"Majestic Insight?" Conan asked quietly, watching Kid. He was starting to feel a little nauseous. Why?

"It's the title of the magazine I was telling you about." Takagi answered.

"Here it is!" Kid exclaimed, producing the publication with a flourish. He flipped through it quickly until he found the page he was looking for, presenting the article to Conan. "Now, seeing as we're clogging up the doorway here, I'm going to go get drinks. Anyone want anything?"

Akako and Wataru murmured their orders while Conan glanced over the magazine. It was a very simple packet, nothing on the cover suggesting its contents…not that he knew what those were yet. He looked back at the page Kid had opened to.

"Let's grab a table." Takagi recommended, a hand on the small of Conan's back, guiding him.

The sat at a small circular table towards the back of the establishment and Takagi bent over Conan. "You okay? You responded…strangely when Kid-kun arrived."

Conan swallowed. "He, uh…wait, 'Kid-kun'!? Shouldn't you be arresting him?"

"No." Takagi shrugged simply. "I work in Division One, theft isn't any of my business. Besides…" Takagi trailed off, blushing.

"What?"

"My g-girlfriend idolizes Kid. No way I'd catch him." His face was bright red with that admission and Conan smirked.

"You finally asked Satou-keiji on a date?" He teased, amused as the blood rushed to the officer's face. It was a little disturbing how he could see the blood pulsing and…well, he wasn't going to think about it. He was determined not to like human blood, not with the way he'd reacted to the crime scene. He wouldn't stand to be a monster that was aroused by the blood of a murder victim.

He shook his head lightly and began to read the article.

It should be known that all non-human creatures have the ability coded into their DNA to assume a human form, if their own form is not already similar to that of a human's as it is. However, many people simply don't realize, or perhaps don't remember, that more than a hundred types of species exist on this earth. The ones of notice are generally the only ones remembered. However, within each species, there are extreme variations that create a whole new species, so to speak.

Alphabetically, the most known species begins with the centaur, magical horses with the ability to speak in both human and animal tongues. Within this designation exists all land-faring magical animals.

After the centaur is the empath, a species most easily mistaken for human. Empaths are perhaps the most unique species because they are not only born with their unique brain capacity that allows them to sense emotions, but other than their empathic abilities, everything about them reads human.

Next are the dominating species of the skies, the Fae. Fae are human-like in appearance naturally, if you discount the birdlike wings protruding from their backs. They have a unique magic that mostly deals with levitation. Any mythical creature with wings generally falls into this category.

Those of the sea come next, split into many different categories, though we only cover two, the first of which are the mermaids. Mermaids have the upper body appearance of a human and the lower body appearance of a fish. There are no males in this species, forcing them to reproduce with other species. However, they have a deceptively attractive appearance, helped along by their enchantment magic that allows them to control other species, most specifically humans, with their voice.

The other water-dwelling creature is the naga. Naga are half human, half sea serpent. However, unlike most cross species, they do not resemble humans in their natural state. Rather, they have green, scaled skin and automatically turn into serpents when submerged in water. It is said that sea water in particular makes the transformation easier. Naga have strong elemental magic that can only be used in water.

Sphinxes are the only land-dwelling magical animals that do not fall under centaurs. The reason for this is because sphinxes have the ability to use Egyptian magic and can change forms at will. Their true form is that of a large feline and this form is especially favorable is the sphinx is injured or sick.

The next species is perhaps the most unique, simply because anyone could become one. Vampires retain a natural human appearance with pale skin and, when hungry, their eyes turn red. Vampires, as is well known, feed on blood. They have power over those they've bitten, giving them the ability to block memories, but not erase or replace them.

Werewolves, the next main species, are a genetic species, dominant in mating so that any of their offspring will become werewolves themselves. They transform into a complete wolf at will, although transformation is forceful on the full moon. When attacking, they balance upright on their hind legs, but at all other times, travel on four limbs. They have no known magic.

The next category can actually apply to any species, they are simply endowed with unique magical abilities. The females are referred to as witches, while the males are called wizards.

Conan finished reading and looked up in surprise to see Kid had rejoined them at the table, sitting right next to him in fact, and had brought Shizuka along with him. Shinichi jerked slightly, his proximity to the thief reminding him once more of his lust for blood. Stubbornly, he bit down on his tongue and tuned into their conversation.

"Attacks have been getting more common as of late." Kid was saying.

Takagi nodded grimly. "At first, the victims were diverse enough that we couldn't tell what the perpetrator was targeting, but now they seemed to have narrowed it down to just non-humans."

"They aren't the only ones attacking." Shizuka continued. "As the attacks continue and rumors grow about our eminent extinction, rouge creatures are turning more and more people. Vampires are the most prominent, simply because of the easy in which we're able to change humans, but other creatures are turning humans in their own ways as well."

"Which certainly doesn't bode well for our continued secrecy. If humans find out we exist…" Akako trailed off, dismally.

Conan listened with a frown. People were attacking non-humans. Well, he'd chosen a helluva time to join those ranks.

His vision blurred suddenly and he let out a strangled gasp. He felt dizzy and strangely weak. What was happening to him?

"Tantei-kun?" He vaguely heard someone ask with concern.

"What's wrong?"

"He's pale…er, more pale than he was before, and he looks kind of sick. I don't think he can hear me either, or he'd be reacting differently."

"Check his pulse." Someone ordered. "Quickly."

He discerned a white blur as Kid shrugged and then soft leather brushed against his neck, two fingers pressing down on his pulse point. "It's weak…almost fluttering. Why?"

"He hasn't had any blood since he's been turned. Well, not really. He may have gotten a few drops from you when he first bit you, but he hasn't gotten enough."

"But…well, I mean, shouldn't the blood he already had have sustained him?"

"For a while. But he's hungry now, his red eyes attest to that. The problem is, he hasn't entirely learned to withhold the venom and at this point, when he's not thinking straight, his first instinct will be to bite and to change."

"You're making it sound as if we're in trouble."

Even without being able to see or hear quite properly, Conan could feel the flat stare directed towards the person next to him.

"Risan!" Shizuka flagged down the barkeep. "Bring a bottle of my special red wine, the most recent year available."

"Wine is a substitute for blood?"

"Of course not. It's bottled blood, fresh if my stock is as good as it's supposed to be."

Blood? Human blood? Conan jerked slightly. No, he didn't want to drink human blood. It was wrong! He wouldn't drink it, he wouldn't!

A corked popped and a bottle was pressed to his lips, but he refused to drink. There was a sigh next to him and the gloved hand moved from his neck to his jaw, prying it open, but Conan resisted, pulling back from him.

"You're being suicidal, Tantei-kun." A smooth voice murmured. "You need this blood, you'll die without it." Conan shook his head, trying to dislodge the soft hands. "This is ridiculous, Tantei-kun. Drink it." The last words were said forcefully, with a kind of power behind them and before he knew what was happening, he found his mouth open, hungrily drinking up the red liquid.

When he caught up with his actions, he found it hard to stop. He wanted it, wanted it like he'd never wanted anything before, and now that he had it he wasn't going to let it go.

But it was wrong! He shouldn't want this, it was gross, it was unnatural. It was human blood he was drinking, it was just plain wrong.

He forced himself to stop, to choke, anything to make him stop consuming the tasty red liquid.

He squirmed in his seat, gagging, and the bottle was removed. "S-stop. I don't want…don't…" He was shaking violently and his breathing was short and harsh.

"Tantei-kun…" Kid began, trailing off as the force of Conan's glare focused on him, complete with dark crimson eyes.

"I don't want human blood." He snarled and pushed away from the table, marching out of the bar.

Kid looked vaguely guilty. "Should I not have made him drink the blood?" He asked uncertainly.

Shizuka shook her head. "No, he needed that blood. Former humans have these funny ideas about where their blood should come from. I'll go talk with him." She rose gracefully and followed the distraught detective out of the room.

"Arnold, what room has the boy gone to?"

"Ah, Miss Shizuka," The hooded figure said calmly. "He went to room 54. He looked rather distressed when asking for it, too."

"Thank you." She hurried through the back door, reaching the designated room and knocking. "Dear child," she called softly, "do not be angry. The blood is necessary to your survival. He only wanted you to live."

A soft groan came behind the door. "I don't care." She could barely hear him say. "I won't drink human blood. It's wrong."

"And what's wrong about it? It's a natural way of life, Child." She sighed. "Do you know how vampires are believed to have come into existence?"

"No," He mumbled through the door, but this time there was a note of curiosity there, a willingness to listen.

"It is believed that they were humans once. There is no direct proof, of course, but our physiologies are so similar that it was a natural conclusion. However, the humans that we would have evolved from would be those with hematophagy, the habit of drinking blood. Eventually, through mutations we assume, our DNA changed, making it so that we could not produce our own blood. Instead, we needed blood from other sources to keep our heart beating. So you see, it's not simply a hunger, that lust for blood you try so hard to hide; it's your bodies way of telling you it needs the blood to keep living. Blood is as vital to you as oxygen is; you cannot live without it."

"But…human blood…and besides, I'm not descended from these vampires. I'm not part of that evolution." Conan whispered.

Shizuka pushed the door gently open. "The poison ruining through your body made you part of the evolution, Child. I've told you that vampire DNA rewrites the human DNA much like a virus' genetic material would. However, because we can't produce our own blood and you inherit the genes that disable us from doing so, you need the blood as much as we do."

Conan was huddled into a ball in the corner behind the door. "I don't care." He whispered. "I don't want to…"

"To be a monster?" She gave a hollow laugh. "That is what mankind sees us as yet, and perhaps that is what you see yourself as, but your race does not determine if you are a monster or not, only your actions."

"Isn't there some alternative?" He asked, burring his face in her neck when she hugged him. "You just say blood is needed, does it have to be human blood?"

She sighed, her breath tickling the skin on the back of his neck. "Former humans have tried using animal blood before. If that is what you wish to do, you may certainly try. However, there are problems with doing such."

"Like what?"

He could feel her lips curve upwards. "Well, let's have you find that out yourself, shall we? You must make your own decisions about what you do, after all."

He nodded, or at least as well as he could in his current position. "How do I – how do I drink blood from an animal? Or from anything for that matter? And…if I were to poison an animal, would it turn into a vampire?"

"That, my young child, is something we could do without discovering. And as for biting…well, you simply incapacitate your prey – or just keep them from struggling if it's consensual – and bite. Your fangs pierce the skin and you lap up the blood. With anything…furry," She wrinkled her nose, apparently disliking the word, "you must beware the blood mixing with the hair. That's one reason I generally prefer non-bearded men myself." She smiled. "Oh, and beware of where you bite. If it's just a little nip, the pulse point on the neck won't hurt, but anything else and you risk killing your prey, crushing the wind pipe or even breaking the neck. If all else fails, the elbows or the wrists are a good point on humans." She explained.

Conan blinked. "Dracula got it all wrong," He murmured.

"Yes, well, things can get confused easily." She laughed. "In any case, you're on your own when it comes to finding four-legged prey. But do try to stay close to here when hunting, just in case anything happens." Conan looked at her and noticed a mysterious twinkle in her eyes. Unable to decipher it, he filed it away for later contemplation. For now, he really rather wanted to bite something and that was a feeling he'd prefer not to have in the general vicinity of humans.

Nodding to her, he pulled away and slipped out of the inn. He didn't know what he was doing really, but he figured he could find a stray cat or something…but what if they were…well, obviously strays weren't the most cleanly animals.

On the other hand, what could he do? It's not like there was a forest near here he could hunt in. But perhaps…maybe a zoo? Or a humane society…although his treatment of them wouldn't be very humane, would it? Their animals would be cleaner than strays, though.

He pulled maps from the dregs of his memory, trying to think of somewhere close to where he was that would have what he was looking for. Aha! Yes, that place would do well. It was a wonder he hadn't thought of it before.

--

Scoffing at the unprotected nature of the local pound, Conan peered inside one of the dirty windows. Seeing no one in the vicinity, he jimmied it open and slipped inside. Judging from the stink coming from his left, the majority of the animals were kept near…and un-bathed as of late.

He crept through the compound slowly, keeping his ears perked for any sign of someone's approach. When he reached the animals, he faltered slightly. Would he really be able to drink the blood of a small, innocent little animal?

He gulped, forcing down his guilt, and decided to bite one of the bigger animals. Besides, the heavier they were, the more blood they had, right? Which meant they'd recover all the faster after he'd drawn some.

He picked a medium-sized husky that looked lazily at him through the bars of its cage. Rather pathetically, he attempted a smile at it and unlatched the cage. The dog didn't jump at him or anything – thank gods for that considering it was nearly as big as he was – but he certainly had its attention now. With small steps, he came closer to it, holding out a hand as if to pet it. Obligingly, it pushed its nose into his hands.

Now, where to bite it? The neck could be dangerous, but elsewhere would put him in range of its fangs when it objected, which it surely would. So…neck it is then?

He gulped and squeezed his eyes shut, burrowing his head into its neck and biting. The animal yelped and attempted to scramble away from him, causing him to pour blood all over his shirt. Fighting it, he managed to restrain it enough to allow him to quickly lap up the blood, grimacing at the coarse feeling of the fur against his tongue.

When he'd had his fill, he quickly left the cage with a comforting pat on the poor animal's head. He felt terrible for doing what he did to it, but it was better than a human…right?

His stomach lurched suddenly and he hurried out of the building, managing to get three blocks away before his lunch found itself on the ground. He swayed, feeling cool hands grasp his shoulders lightly and steady him. "Sh-Shizuka – " He began, but couldn't continue.

Shizuka rubbed his back gently as he heaved all that was left in his stomach. "There, there." She said. "I told you there were certain penalties to drinking animal blood."

"You didn't tell me I'd get so sick!" Conan growled, gasping for air before his wind pipe closed again as he puked.

"Yes, well…I figured you'd understand better if you experienced it for yourself. Besides, would you have listened to me? You were insistent that drinking human blood was wrong. If I told you you'd get sick with anything else, I doubt you would've changed your mind."

"Okay…" Conan stood up shakily, wiping his mouth on his sleeves, which he then realized were covered in the husky's blood. Wrinkling his nose, he pulled off his shirt and held it out like it was something vile…which it kind of was at this point. "So…why did I get so sick?"

"Well, I told you, we drink the blood because we can't produce our own. In effect, the blood we drink goes into our blood streams and keeps our hearts beating – that is why you would've died had Kid not forced you to drink the blood. Drinking animal blood is like getting a transfusion with the wrong blood type, although not as fatal. Your body rejects the blood and you get sick. I suspect you'll be quite weak for a while, as well."

"Oh. Great." Conan muttered, annoyed.

"Just be glad you could sustain yourself until you got out of the pound. The employees probably wouldn't have reacted to kindly to a young boy throwing up in their midst after having attacked a dog." She laughed a light hearted titter.

"That's very comforting." He retorted.

"It should be. Can you imagine having the pound call up your guardians and inform them of what happened?" Conan blanched. "In any case, you should probably head home and get some rest. Let's go back to Mythical Delight and you can get a new shirt. I'll talk to Kid or Takagi and see about one of them walking you home."

"I don't need an escort." He mumbled. "You're always treating me like a child."

She laughed slightly. "Even if you're not as young as you appear, dear, you're still centuries younger than I am. Now, come. It's unsightly to go around without a shirt on, even if you are seen as a child." He grumbled under his breath, but didn't resist as she led him back to the inn.

"What now?" Conan asked quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Do I…have to drink human blood to survive?"

"Yes, you do. And I need to teach you to control your venom. We can't have you turning your prey into vampires, now can we?"

"V-venom?" Conan's eyes went wide. "The dog!? D-did I turn a dog into a vampire!? But, I asked you before and you said – !"

Shizuka laughed. "No, no, calm down. Our venom doesn't generally change other creatures."

"Generally?"

"Well, the venom invades the blood stream and, rather like a virus, infects the cells and changes them. However, the venom is only really compatible with those who have a similar physiology to our own. There have been some strange cases in history, but you know what they say, there are exceptions to every rule." She giggled softly.

"That…doesn't really answer my question." Conan sighed. "How long will it take me to learn to control the venom?"

"That depends on how hard you try. Until you have complete control, it would be best if you drank only the wine from my personal stash, that way we don't worry about accidently recruit someone into the bloodsucking ranks."

--

Sorry for the wait. I've actually had this typed up for a while, but I couldn't decide if I wanted to add more to it.