Chapter 19: Ran's Wild Thoughts
"What was that sound?"
Ran turned to see a strange, white creature with ruby-red eyes. "You're..."
"My name is Kyubey." Its expression was completely blank, and its voice echoed directly in her mind. "Do you wish to save your friends? I can grant your wish."
"...A wish?" Ran looked at Sonoko's pale, unconscious face, a wave of helplessness washing over her. Her karate skills were useless against a supernatural threat like this. If only she had the power to protect everyone...
"Yes," Kyubey continued. "You need only become a magical girl and fight the Witches. Of course, your wish can be anything you desire. To heal your friend, to protect those you love, or even... to bring Shinichi Kudo back to your side."
At the mention of Shinichi's name, Ran's heart clenched. It had been so long since she'd heard from him, apart from the occasional, brief phone call. If he were here...
"How do you know about Shinichi?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"I know many things, Ran Mouri. Time is running out. You must make your choice."
Just then, the wall of the changing room exploded inward. A flash of blue light, and Mitsuhiko appeared in the breach. "Ran-neechan! This way!"
Haibara and Kogoro were right behind him. Conan immediately rushed to Ran and Sonoko's side. "Ran! Are you okay?"
Ran stared at the three figures in their outlandish outfits, her gaze finally locking onto her father. Beneath the ridiculous hair clip, the face was undeniably his. "D-Dad?"
Kogoro looked away, embarrassed, instinctively trying to tug the hem of his skirt down over his hairy legs. "Don't look at me! It's not like I had a choice!"
In that moment, Conan spotted Kyubey lurking in the shadows. He had become hypersensitive to its presence, especially when it was near Ran.
"Get away from her!" he roared, activating his belt's soccer ball dispenser. The ball shot out at incredible speed, slamming into Kyubey and launching it out of the room.
"Why do you stop her from making a wish?" Kyubey's voice echoed as it landed gracefully outside. "You know the secret of Shinichi Kudo. You know how to bring him back, don't you?"
Ran's head snapped up, her eyes wide. She grabbed Conan's shoulders, her grip tight. "Conan-kun, what is it talking about? You know something about Shinichi? What's... what's wrong with him? Why did it say 'bring him back'?" A mixture of fear and desperate hope flickered in her eyes. Even in this terrifying situation, Shinichi's name struck the most vulnerable part of her heart. "What happened to him?"
"Ran, don't listen to it!" Conan pleaded. "It's just trying to trick you!"
Ran hesitated, her gaze shifting between Conan and the spot where Kyubey had been. "But what if..."
At that moment, Sonoko, partially revived by Haibara's healing magic, groggily opened her eyes and saw Kogoro in his full magical girl regalia.
"M-Mr. Mouri?!" Her jaw dropped. She shot upright, ignoring the throbbing pain in her head, and rubbed her eyes in disbelief. "I must have hit my head harder than I thought... I'm still dreaming... Mr. Mouri is wearing... he's wearing..."
Suddenly, she burst into a fit of hysterical laughter, doubling over and rolling on the floor. "AHAHAHA! What is that?! Lace?! And a ribbon?! Oh my god, Ran! Your dad is a magical girl! AHAHAHA!"
Kogoro froze, his face turning from red to purple, a vein pulsing on his forehead. He grabbed his skirt, trying futilely to lengthen it. "SHUT! UP!" he roared through gritted teeth. "This is a magical warrior outfit! A WARRIOR! There's a fundamental difference!"
Before the argument could continue, the ceiling cracked open. The grotesque gift-box monster descended, its shopping-bag tentacles lashing out like whips. Haibara threw her hands up, a translucent silver shield materializing just in time to block the initial blow.
"It's stronger than we thought!" she grunted, sweat beading on her forehead as she strained to maintain the shield.
The three magical heroes fell into formation. Blue particles swirled around Mitsuhiko as he zipped through the air, creating distracting afterimages to confuse the Witch. Kogoro activated his "Eye of Truth," scanning the monster for weak points. Haibara mixed several vials of glowing reagents, preparing a powerful attack.
"Its weak point is inside the crystal ball!" Kogoro shouted. "Mitsuhiko, draw its fire! Haibara, aim for its head!"
They moved in perfect sync, but the Witch suddenly erected a thick barrier made of shimmering brand-name logos, deflecting their attacks. Then it counter-attacked. A horde of mind-controlled shoppers and mutated cash-register-robots swarmed them, the robots firing barcode-shaped lasers from their scanner-gun hands.
"Agh!" Mitsuhiko cried out as a laser beam pierced his shoulder, staining his blue uniform a deep crimson.
"Mitsuhiko!" Haibara yelled, her own shield now covered in spiderweb cracks. The Witch, sensing their weakness, pressed its attack. A storm of razor-sharp credit card shards flew at them from all directions.
"Its energy output is off the charts!" Haibara's voice was tinged with a fear they had never heard before. "My shield can't hold much longer!"
Just then, a tentacle smashed through a corner of the shield, striking Kogoro in the chest and sending him flying into a wall. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and a tiny crack appeared on his Soul Gem.
"DAD!" Ran screamed.
"Stay back!" Kogoro gasped, struggling to his feet. "This thing... it's stronger than anything we've ever faced..." His "Eye of Truth" was useless; the Witch's chaotic structure defied analysis. His skirt was torn, revealing deep gashes on his legs.
[Non-Human Beings Chat Group]
SpongeBob SquarePants: AAAAAAHH! This is horrible! The Witch is too strong! Are they all going to die?!
Tom Cat: [Cat_is_Panicking.jpeg]
The three magical heroes were forced into a desperate, final defensive line in front of Ran and Sonoko. The giant Witch lumbered toward them, the very fabric of reality seeming to fray in its presence.
Ran watched, her mind reeling. Her father... those sudden disappearances, the unexplained exhaustion she had mistaken for hangovers... Had he been fighting monsters like this all along, in a secret war she knew nothing about?
And Mitsuhiko and Haibara... just kids, forced to endure this pain and bloodshed. She remembered all the times they had seemed mature beyond their years, all the secrets they were clearly keeping. They were protecting this city. Protecting her.
Her gaze fell on Conan. He wasn't a magical girl, but he was right there with them, that small body always on the front lines. He had known about all of this. He had given her the special phone, trying to protect her. And all this time, she had just thought he was a clever little boy.
Shinichi... is this why you disappeared? Are you caught up in this, too?
All her friends, her family... living a double life in a world of darkness and fear, right under her nose. And she had been completely oblivious, unable to help, unable to share their burden.
Kyubey reappeared silently at her side. "Do you see now? Their power is not enough. Unless someone changes the equation."
Its words hooked into her heart. Could I... be one of them? If I had the power... if I could protect everyone...
"I..." Ran's voice trembled, and her hand began to reach out toward Kyubey.