Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The watch was silver, shining when the light glanced off of its smooth surface that was marred with lines, not random, but forming runes which whispered, to those that could hear them, the secrets of the universe. he almost didn't pick it up, but there was a small voice in the back of his mind which demanded he do so. So he lifted it out of the small box, the box that had arrived anonymously on the doorstep of the Mouri Detective Agency, and stared at it.

The metal was cold, almost freezing to the touch, but as he held it, it began to grow warmer, until it was perfect. And Conan could almost feel it hum in his hands. What sort of watch was this? His gaze fell to the catch, and his fingers itched to open it. The voice grew louder, demanding release.

"Conan-kun, dinner!" The spell was broken. Absentmindedly, he pocketed the watch, forgetting it as soon as it left his sight. He didn't even register its weight as he went down the stairs to join the Mouri family.

It wasn't time yet. Not time for the one truth to be revealed.

()

Conan paced the cell he now occupied, mind going over the events of the past couple hours, leading up to now.

It had started as a typical murder case with the Detective Boys. Call in Satou-keiji and Takagi-keiji, drop clues to both parties, let them solve it. Bad guy goes to jail, the kids are proud of themselves for their abilities, and he is still safe.

Then he saw the car parked just outside the building. A black Porsche 356A. Gin's car. What was he doing here? Then, there were the arms that grabbed him tight and refused to let go. He turned to see a girl, one of the suspects from the case. She smiled at him, and he shuddered at the malice behind it. Damn Haibara for staying home today! He might have been warned, at least!

She dragged him outside and into the car. He would have struggled, had she not threatened the kids, who had left a few minutes earlier without him, with Chianti and Korn. Once inside, he scrambled out of her grasp and burrowed himself into the corner between the seat and the door, as far as he could get, eyes continuously flashing between the faces of the other three occupants.

The face that constantly haunted his nightmares. The long hair, a silvery blonde. Those cold green eyes, piercing him as well as any detective's. That sinister smile, promising pain. Gin.

His constant companion, the ever-present Vodka. He never really was scared of the stocky man, just of the fact that if he was around, so was his 'aniki'.

And the final occupant, the new member, for him at least. He'd not payed much attention to her before, but he did now, ignoring her doubtlessly false identity from before. He'd estimate her to be in her late teens, twenty-one at most. Her hair was black, obviously dyed from the blonde roots, and cut short, barely brushing her slim shoulders. Her figure was slight and unassuming, but he could see the coiled muscles underneath her loose black clothing, and so knew she wasn't one to be trifled with. And her eyes, which had struck him earlier as simply odd, were a deep green flecked with bright gold, and sparkled with mirth at his actions.

He spent the entire trip glaring at the others, his gaze being matched only by the girl. Thankfully, they were all quiet, allowing him to think as he watched them. Why did they want him? Had they discovered his identity? He clenched his hands, his fingernails digging into the flesh of his palms. If so, what would they do? Why hadn't they just killed him already? And...his breath hitched. What about everyone connected to him?

Ran, the only girl there'd ever been.

His parents, they'd abandoned him when he was younger, but it didn't change his love for them.

Heiji, the man he was proud to call his friend and rival.

Haibara, a girl he felt such a connection to, even if it wasn't romantic.

The kids, still innocent even though they were always around him.

Agasa-hakase, his long-time friend, even through all this trouble.

Division One, not knowing who he really was, but still not treating him as a kid most of the time.

They could all be killed, thanks to him. Haibara was right, he was an idiot to keep solving mysteries, but could he help it? Dead bodies practically followed him around, and someone had to help the relatives cope by putting away the one that did it. The thrill was just a bonus.

"Get out," Gin barked, jerking him out of his thoughts. He complied, slipping out after the girl, daring not to move afterwards. Chianti and Korn hadn't followed them, so they were likely still following the Detective Boys. "You know what to do Martini," Gin said before racing off, leaving Conan to cough on the dust his tires threw up.

The girl, Martini, rolled her eyes at the man's actions and instead looked down at Conan. "Come on chibi," she said, gesturing towards the large house they stood in front of. He glared at her for her comment, causing her to laugh, and then turned his view to his surroundings.

They were in a forest, possibly Beika Forest, but Conan couldn't be sure. On the ride over, he was too focused to tell the passing of time or of scenery. So he had no idea where he was, even if he managed to escape.

The house was western-style, but seemed rather ordinary otherwise. Definitely not something he'd expect to be a stronghold of such a large and shadowy organization. But he supposed that was the point.

Conan yelped when he suddenly felt himself lifted off of the ground by his shirt. "Come one chibi-tantei, this isn't the time for sight-seeing."

Inside, Conan grumbled at being called a chibi (twice!). It wasn't his fault he'd been turned into a child again. But on the outside, he made his face look curious and craned his face around to look at her. "Ne, are you a spy neechan?" It was a long shot, but maybe she would fall for it. Even the cops had passed him off as simply odd when he acted so childish after a moment of seriousness.

She looked at him puzzled for a moment before brightening and laughing again. "Oh, you're good. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were just an ordinary kid, if a bit weird." She carried him into the house, still laughing.

He was surprised by the interior as well. It was done in mostly browns, and done such that in seemed open and airy, like the forest that surrounded it.

"It's not like we could afford to have our bases all creepy and suspicious," she said, setting him down, as if reading his mind. "Besides, that sort of expected decor is tacky."

He couldn't help but chuckle. "Then what about your organization's dress code?" He cursed himself as soon as the words left his mouth. What was he doing?

She laughed. "Oh, I know! I tried telling anokata, but..." The sound of the song Nanatsu no Ko filled the air, interrupting her. She brightened. "Speak of the devil. Moshi moshi boss." She paused for a moment, listening the the voice on the other line.

"Yes sir, he's here, and exactly as you described." Another minute, and her face fell.

"Yes sir. I'll await your arrival." She snapped her phone closed and turned back to Conan, who had been trying to sneak away. He froze in her gaze.

A loud sigh escaped her lips. "Sorry chibi-tantei, fun time's over." With a quick burst of speed, Martini lunged forward and hit him in the neck, making everything go black.

So, here he was, stuck in a small cell. And the young criminal had taken all of his equipment from the hakase, too. He searched his pockets, desperately hoping there was something, anything, he could use. He was surprised to feel the smooth coolness of metal and pulled out the silver watch. He stared at it, enthralled by it just as before.

With quivering fingers, he clicked open the time piece and out poured streams of golden light, along with the truth of time.

Chapter Text

The golden light surrounded Conan, permeating his entire body with a soft glow. Images flashed before his eyes, speeding by quicker than he could focus, but yet they left a lasting impression, as if he'd seen them all before. But through all these images, there were a few that left the deepest impressions, as if these were the ones he wanted to hold onto most. An orange sky hanging over brilliant red deserts, fields of golden fire, and forests of emerald green and shining silver, much like the watch itself. A view of what he recognized as the Earth, seen from above, as if from space. A room softly glowing golden, filled with machinery the likes of which he'd never seen, except they seemed so incredibly familiar, like something from a vivid dream, even though he never remembered his dreams. And a single word. Doctor.

The word repeated, over and over in his head, rising in a crescendo until he was mentally screaming it. Suddenly, he passed out, exhaustion falling over him with a crash.

A figure walked into the cell a few minutes later and picked him up. They stared into his face and smiled. So this is where he had gone. He looked different, it was true, but there was no mistaking it. The figure spun around and carried Conan's unconscious body away.

()

"Will you tell me who he is exactly?" A girl's voice, accent-tinged English.

"Well, it's a bit of a long story." A man's voice, familiar. But why?

"Is he an alien?" Another man's voice, another stranger.

"Yes," Conan said without thinking, sitting up. His head was killing him, but he forced his eyes open so he could observe his surroundings. A golden interior, similar to the images from the watch, but not the same. Not a simple image but a memory, he realized that now. Suddenly his mind cleared, the block breaking as he accepted the truth. He took a look at the speakers.

A fiery-haired young woman. Married, a frequent traveler, humanoid, likely Earth origin.

A young man. The woman's husband, traveler as was, humanoid, older than he appears, alien? But it doesn't seem so. Ah, interesting, an Auton, but independent!

A man, seemingly young, but his eyes betray him, just like the other one. But those eyes were familiar to him. No matter how the appearance changed, the eyes always remained the same.

"Hello Doctor," he greeted, a small grin on his face.

The Doctor smiled back. "Hello Detective."

"Same as ever I see."

"And you." Amy and Rory could only watch in confusion as the two spoke back and forth, seemingly about nothing.

Finally, she was fed up. They'd digressed into talking about the weather!

"Is someone going to tell me what's going on!"

"Sure," Conan said. "First, though, can I borrow your closet Doctor?"

"Go ahead." Conan jumped off of the couch and disappeared into the interior of the TARDIS. A few thumps and growls were heard, causing the married couple to exchange worried glances, although it seemed not to concern the Doctor. Finally, Conan returned.

Amy groaned. "Great, another fashion idiot."

"Hey, bowties are cool!" The Doctor and Conan protested simultaneously. Indeed, the chibi was wearing a red bowtie, as well as a dark blue suit, much like the Teitan High School uniform. They caught each other's eyes and grinned.

"Copying me?" Conan asked.

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

"Right," he laughed. "Anyway, introductions?"

"Amy Pond."

"Rory Po-Williams. Rory Williams."

Conan grinned, catching the slip. That little verbal twitch told a lot about their relationship.

"The Detective, or Tantei if you will. Also know as Kudou Shin'ichi or Edogawa Conan."

Rory cocked his head, slightly confused. "The Detective? Then are you-"

"A Time Lord? Yes."

"How did you-"

"Know what he was going to say?" He smirked. "The name a Time Lord takes is more than just for show. It embodies them, is them. I am, no matter what my face, a detective."

Silence reigned as the two humans (kinda) took in this tidbit on the mysterious alien race.

"Alright Detective, enough biology. What happened to you? Last I knew, I'm pretty sure you weren't a kid, and even with regeneration, we can't do that."

Conan shrugged. "I was human at that point, so I couldn't know. Best guess, when I was dying, someone opened my watch-"

Somewhere in Ekoda, one Kuroba Kaito sneezed. He looked around to see if his presence had been noticed. No. Shrugging, he went back to shuffling through Saguru's stuff. No better way to get to know someone than going through their personal belongings. Plus detectives always had the most interesting things...

"-releasing my Time Lord energy, which mixed with the...source of my death, somehow causing this to hap...pen..." He trailed off, a sudden horrified look appearing on his face.

"What is it?" Rory asked.

He shook his head vigorously, clearing the though from his mind. "Only a veeery frightening realization."

The Doctor smiled and clapped his hands. "Well, now that that's taken care of, where shall I drop you off? Osaka, Edo, Traxa?"

"Actually, I need dropped off at my...at the Kudou home, in Beika. The day we left, if you would. That's where my TARDIS is."

The Doctor grinned and walked over to the console. "Alrighty then~. Let's get going!" He started fiddling with the controls seemingly at random as Conan sat back and watched.

What had happened to the Doctor, he wondered. The other Time Lord had changed, not just his face. Something had happened without him around to help him. How long had it been, even, since the two of them had seen each other? As a human, it had only been 17 years for him, but it could have been centuries for a Time Lord like the Doctor. It was easy to tell he'd died at least once. Conan's eyes softened. What was he going to do with that man?

"You two used to be close, huh?" Rory asked, making Conan jump at his sudden words. Once his hearts had settled down, he turned to the Auton and smiled gently, eyes glazed as if looking at something far away.

"Yea...he's always been precious to me...but now, I don't really know how to talk to him. I mean, we've both changed..."

"I know what I'd do," Amy said, popping up next to her husband. "I'd walk right up to him, smile, and give him a big, long kiss." As an example, she pulled Rory in.

Conan blinked, looked over to the Doctor, blinked again, and turned back to the couple. He facepalmed. "It's not like that. Hell no, it would never be like that."

Amy, breaking off from Rory, looked at him puzzledly. "Really? Then what is he to you?"

"My younger brother."

Amy brightened and, for lack of a better word, glomped him. Conan struggled in her grasp, being the confused one in the group now.

"What are you doing?"

"That makes you family!"

He stopped squirming. "What?"

Rory explained. "Our daughter married him, making your brother our son-in-law. And Amy didn't have much family growing up, thus the reaction."

Conan, astounded, looked over at his brother. "He got married?"

The other male shrugged. "Yep."

Conan was silent. What...something like that was just...weird. Not to mention the fact that earlier she had been telling him to go snog her son-in-law. But maybe the worst had happened. "Where is my sister-in-law then?"

"In jail," the Doctor said, materializing next to them.

A criminal? Well, maybe she was innocent. Mistakes have been made. "Why?"

"For killing me."

"What?"

"Well, not really me. It was one of those justice-bots used by the Time Agency made to look like me. Long story. It wasn't her fault she tried to kill me, though. She was brainwashed."

Conan rubbed his temples. Ah, old times. His brother married the woman that tried to kill him, who was also the daughter of his companions. He wasn't even going to ask how that had happened. Time was like that, he knew. Why had he been feeling so sorry for him, missing him?

"Anyway, we're here Detective. 2-21 Beika, 4:00 pm on Saturday, May 4, 20XX. Hopefully."

Conan walked over to the doors and poked his head out. It looked right, and at least he'd landed in the Kudou's large backyard. Re-entering the TARDIS, he bowed to the three travelers. "Thank you for saving me. May we meet again, in time." He left, heading towards the Kudou mansion. The last thing he heard was Amy's voice saying, "Your brother's weird," before the doors closed and the TARDIS disappeared. He smiled fondly before focusing his attention back to the house. Time to hunt down his own time and space machine.

After an hour of fruitless searching, he was annoyed. He never saw the TARDIS after arriving, so he didn't know what it looked like this time around.

"What are you looking for, my young thief?" He spun around to face the owner of the voice, who turned out to be Okiya. Who started in surprise when he caught sight of Conan's face. "Conan-kun?"

"Oh, um, hi Okiya-san." Conan was nervous. How was he supposed to explain this? He was saved from having to by the pink-haired man himself.

"I see. Well then, that would explain a lot," he murmured before turning his attention back to Conan. "Come with me, I know what you want." He lead the confused alien through the house and up to the room he'd taken for himself, obvious from the papers strewn about.

Conan's attention, however, was drawn away from the possibly incriminating documents by the tall mirror at the end of the room. Ah, there she was~.

He looked back at Okiya, who'd remained in the doorway, simply watching him. "How'd you know?"

"That mirror didn't break when I threw anything at it. Instead, something fell out. A note, written by Akai Shuuichi. It was intriguing, a note like that. So, I followed it, and here we are."

"No questions? Questions are usually asked."

"None. The note said enough."

"Where would that note happen to be?"

"Burned."

"Okay." He walked over to the mirror and inspected it for a few moments. With a cry if delight, he pushed a niche in the frame and the surface shimmered. Just as he was half-way through the rippling surface, he paused and looked back at Okiya, a thoughtful expression on his face. "You're a good detective. Traveled much?"

"Some."

"Seen some interesting cases?"

"Enough disturbing ones for several lifetimes."

"Want to see some more?"

"Oh yes."

Conan smiled. "Then come on."