Waiting for Truth
A Detective Conan fanfic by Willow-chan 2001Notes: Conan encounters Kid, only to find out that he has stolen "something" special from him and has no intentions of giving it back.
Chapter 1:
The school bell rang to announce the end of the last lesson of the day, at least, for Ran and Sonoko.
"Oh, please Ran!" the short-haired girl glued herself onto the long-haired one, "You really have to come over, just for a teensy-weensy while?"
"No, Sonoko! I still have karate practice!" Ran tried to pull loose of her friend's iron grip, "Another time, ok?"
"Then I'll wait for you! I'll study while you practice – oh! Or maybe," she let go and clapped her hands, "I'll pick up Conan from school! What do you say? We'll be studying together and at lest you won't have to worry your pretty little head about it!" Sonoko tapped her friend's nose, "I bet he'd love to have some snacks and play games at my place!"
Ran smiled and snickered, "Since you're willing to bother yourself, why not?" but she thought that Sonoko only wanted to go to the karate class because of their substitute instructor who was so bishounen. She turned her heel and looked up the school's clock, "Conan must be on his way now, you might catch him --"
"Then off you go! You'll have to hurry or you'll be late, and I gotta run and catch a cute kid! Bai-bai!" Sonoko spoke at the speed of Mach 3 and ran off.
She went past the field where the trackers were warming up and the cheering squad were practicing their routines, out in the temperate, spring afternoon. It was almost summer and the days were longer.
In the dressing room, almost all the other girls were almost done. She hurriedly changed into her sports attire: aerobic shorts and sports bra underneath a white karate gi. She tied her hair, kicked her shoes off and trotted to the tatami.
She was puzzled at why Sonoko really insisted that they go to her house. Keep breathing regular. It was nobody's birthday today, there wasn't even a special occasion in sight! Unless of course, Sonoko's going to show off a brand new dress that she will wear for an affair her parents are attending to and she was tagged along. Yes, that must be it.
But that 's quite unusual.
After the custom warm-up, the karate team did exercises to increase their speed. Ran executed perfect kicks and punches. She dreamed of learning kung-fu, kick-boxing, judo, and all sorts of martial arts so she can beat Shinichi to pulp, making sure he would never move away from her again… the board that her trainer was holding up didn't break.
"You seem stressed, Mouri-san. Is there anything the matter?"
She huffed and bowed at the instructor, "Iie, sensei. Gomen-nasai."
"Hai. You should try and relax a bit. Look." He pointed to the opening gym door, and in came Conan and Sonoko. Ran smiled as they waved to her. They sat down at some bleachers and watched Ran kick some butt!
***
"Sonoko! What do you really want us to do?"
Huge, oaken double doors were shut. Steps directed to a flight of carved carpeted stairs."
"Conan, the study room's over there with a computer and a mini-fridge. Do what you want over there. If you need anything, just pull the thick red cord you see near the desks."
"Hai Sonoko-neesan!" *I wonder what they're up to?* Conan trotted to the direction pointed out by their hostess.
"And you, Miss Mouri, you come with me."
A while later, in Sonoko's room:
"Sonoko, you really shouldn't, I swear!"
The short-haired girl pulled out a shine, wine-red gown, "You'll look good in this one! Your lips will be accentuated with a matching shade of lipstick!"
Ran's smile twitched.
"Oh, I love this olive-green one! This is just like what the Western actress wore as she was featured in a music video! You'd look so into nature with this one with your brown hair!"
The gown was tossed into a growing pile on Sonoko's bed.
"But, Sonoko --"
"Silence! An artist is at work! Let me see here," Sonoko pretended to be in deep thought, finger on chin, and pulled out another gown, "you'd look elegant and sophisticated with this silvery gray one, or maybe," she took out another garment, "femme fatale with this black leathery one," she lifted a corner of the dress, and it seemed to have a large gap in it, "with a sexy slit too!"
Ran tried to protest, "But these ones even still have price tags on them!" and she almost fainted at the prices she saw.
"And finally, this classy white one," Sonoko laid out about ten gowns on her bed, "all of these Ran, are yours!"
"But, Sonoko, I can't accept these!"
"Oh, yes you can! In fact, you're going to wear one of them right now, and I'll fix you up!"
"Why?"
"You're too much of a tomboy, and I feel like playing dress-up, and I never got to thank you for defending me against the bullies back in primary school!"
Ran sighed and sweat-dropped, "You're weird, Sonoko!"
***
A while later:
"I can't believe it's Ran-neechan!" Conan stood in awe *Man, she looks great! How I wish I were Shinichi so we could go out on a date right now!*
Sonoko clapped her hands, "I never thought I can do it, but I did!" She whipped out a camera and snapped pictures, "Oh, come on, Ran! Smile!"
"The make-up's killing me!" Ran's skin looked as if she stepped out of a Renaissance painting. Here eyes were brought out with brown eyeliner and mascara. Her lips were painted with a beigy, reddish pink shade and she wore the white gown with a mist-like shawl about her shoulders. Her hair had been braided and was put about her head like a crown. Her ears had diamond pendants and so did her fine necklace.
Conan was so mesmerized that he walked towards Ran in a trance. He didn't know that there were high-heeled shoes lurking about. He stepped on them, lost his balance and fell on his head.
***
"Sonoko! Look what you did!"
"Well," Sonoko's lips were quivering, "you should've work the shoes in the first place!"
Suddenly the French windows threw open, letting in a gust of cool air blow in.
"Wh-what's that?" Sonoko stood by Conan, "R-Ran, please stay here with us." Her friend was walking towards the window. Sonoko barely had time to scream as Ran was whisked away by a white figure, and what replaced her friend was a rolled-up parchment with a red ribbon around it, veiled by Ran's shawl.
"Ran?" Conan rubbed his head and adjusted his spectacles.
"Conan-kun! You're awake! Ran has been kidnapped and the kidnapper left a scroll by the window!" Sonoko had tears in her eyes, and held the little boy's shoulders with shaking hands.
*What? Ran?* Conan quickly went and picked up the scroll, *I know this style…* and read it:
I figure that you must already know,
What I have taken from this place;
I see that grim expression you show,
Carved deeply into your face;
I have no puzzles, no riddles to guess,
Just go your house on the 2nd at midnight
What can I give more or give less?
I know that you will come right.
No crimes, no mysteries, no cases unsolved,
You, Edogawa, known as super sleuth
For this, only us three involved
And show us what you call, 'One truth'.
"How are we going to tell this to her dad?" Sonoko nervously bit her fingernail. Conan, despite the shock, quickly came up with a solution, "I'll tell him, but you must play along in case he asks for you. I hope you don't mind if I stay with you that late at night?" *Though, of course, I can't afford you being in the way, but that can be remedied*
"I don't mind, Conan-kun. I'll just get this room fixed and get us some dinner. You can use my phone near the bedside lamp." Sonoko went out, adjusted his bow-tie and dialed the Mouri number. Kogoro's grumpy voice answered, "Uh, hello, Otousan?… Hai, I'm here at Sonoko's. I sprained my ankle during training and I can barely move!… I'm sleeping over… ok, ok, I'll be back tomorrow. Conan's with me… ok, bye."
Conan sighed and put the phone down. It was the nick of time as Sonoko had a maid roll in cart full of food. *Classy!* Only then did he notice a small table with four chairs at one corner of the room. As the maid put the food on the table, Sonoko and Conan sat down.