Chapter one: Introducing Ayaka Maeko!

That promise. That stupid promise! Why did he have to make that stupid promise? Stupid Shinichi and his stupid promise! Stupid city tournament! Stupid karate! Stupid, stupid everything!

These thoughts raced through Ran's mind as the realisation dawned upon her. Somehow, she'd shrunk. That drug those men in black had given her must have shrunk her.
Great, what could she do now? Her clothes were too big; she had to carry most of them in her arms so she wouldn't trip and her hair was soaked through from the rain, she was cold and had no idea what to do. Stupid, stupid Shinichi just had to run off after those men in-hold on! Shinichi! She could go to Shinichi! He'd understand… right? Hopefully.

And with that thought she set off to the Kudou residence.

Hiroshi Agasa, age 52, was walking home from one of his favourite restaurants, Colombo, to see a young girl (he guessed she was around six or seven) with oversized clothes attempting to get into the Kudou residence. She had long, wet brown hair and her blue jacket covered her body from neck to tip-toe; 'she looks a lot like Ran-kun at that age' he thought. Suspicious, he walked over to her.

"What are you doing, little girl?" He asked, trying to sound non-threatening. She jumped at the sound of his voice and turned. Relief washed over her once-panicked face.

"Hakase!" She yelled recognition evident in her voice.

"Do I know you?" he asked.

"Hakase, it's me, Ran! Ran Mouri!"

"I think you're confused, little one," he said, crouching down to her height. "Ran-kun is 16 and much taller than you. You can't be her."

"Hakase," she said dangerously, hating the patronising tone of his voice.

"Hakase, it's really me. Ran. I live at the Mouri Detective Agency with my father, Mouri Kogoro! There were these Men in Black and one of drugged me with this… poison and then I woke up like this!" She spoke honestly, the professor refused to believe it however. It was too absurd, made-up. Clearly this kid had seen too many movies.

"If you're really Ran-kun, prove it."

"How am I supposed to do that!?"

"Tell me something only Ran-kun and I know."

Something only they knew? Ran recalled one incident where she told him about…

"Last year, at Christmas, I told you that I… about how I… you know?"

He said nothing, just gestured for her to continue. He obviously wasn't going to believe her if she didn't.

"That I'm in love with Shinichi!" she shouted.

Shock found its way onto Agasa's face. "Ran-kun!" he exclaimed.

"YES!"

"Oh! You must be freezing, come on, let's go inside," he said, opening the gate to the Kudou's house.

"Come on, go in!" He ushered and she gladly walked through the gates.

"So these Men in Black gave you this drug and you shrunk?" Agasa asked for what felt like the zillionth time.

"YES!" Ran shouted back in reply.

"I can't believe these clothes are still here!" she exclaimed as she walked back into the library, where the she'd explained everything she could remember about the incident to the professor. She was wearing a cute lilac dress with a white frill neckline, a pair of white slip-on shoes and had even put on a matching purple bow. "I left these here for sleepovers years ago, found them in the spare room closet. It's kind of fun though… like playing dress-up."

"Why the bow?" the older man asked.

"Disguise," she said simply.

"Disguise?"

"Well I can't just run around looking completely like me, those men are smart. They're bound to notice if I do something stupid like that… I'll have to tell Otou-san though," she answered thoughtfully.

"And people say Shinichi's smart…" Agasa joked and Ran laughed.

"We'll have to do something about a name then," he said after a while.

"Hmm?"

"A name. For you to use," he stated, "Oh! I know!"

"What?" she asked excitedly, despite the ramifications, it was kind of fun.

"From now onwards you shall be known as… Ayaka Maeko!" He announced cheerfully. She immediately frowned.

"Maeko?" She asked.

"Well you're gonna be doing a lot of lying."

"Hakaseeeee! You're mean!" she whined in response. He just grinned.

Then they heard the door open and slam shut.

"Hakase?" Shinichi's voice carried down the halls. "Hakase, is that you?"

"Lying that starts now," he whispered, pushing her behind the desk.

"Why can't I tell Shinichi?" she asked, but complied and hid behind the desk.

"Because he'll get involved and if they're as dangerous as you say they are, he's not gonna be as lucky as you."

"Hakase?" Shinichi called out again.

"In here!" he said in response.

"Oh!" he said, walking in. "Why are you in here?"

"I-uh-" he started but was cut off by a prompt "Oof!"

Ran, who'd been stupidly standing on her tip-toes and eavesdropping, had lost her balance and fallen.

"Who's this?" Shinichi asked, bending down to eye level with her.

"I-I'm A-Ay-"

"Ayaka Maeko! She's six years old!" the professor introduced.

Shinichi gave him a questioning look.

"She's a distant cousin's daughter… I'm looking after her while they're on a business trip."

"Oh," he said, only somewhat convinced. "What's she doing here?"

"Well, they only just dropped her off and I didn't have any clothes for her, her others were soaked through and they hadn't packed a suitcase… they're not very well prepared, anyway, I thought you might still have some of Ran-kun's old clothes so we came here." Agasa answered, quite quickly and Ran was surprised he could make all that up so quickly.

"Okay, that's fine… I might have some other clothes somewhere…" Shinichi trailed off and looked at Ran, who'd been very silent. She felt very nervous under his gaze and felt heat rise to her cheeks.

"Well aren't you a cutie!" he said finally, shocking her. "Actually, you look a bit like Ran when she was your age!" she just stood there.

"Speaking of Ran," he continued, addressing Agasa and getting up, "You haven't heard from her have you? I called her father and he said that she wasn't there… I hope she got home okay," he finished, sounding worried.

"Oh, uh, yes, I saw Ran before coming here, said she was going to Sonoko's… some girl thing." The professor said quickly.

"Why'd she go this way to get to Sonoko's, doesn't that take longer?"

"She wanted to make sure you'd gotten home alright." There, turn the blame back on him.

"Oh, well, yeah… I did." He said, looking somewhat sad.

"Shini-Nii-chan!" Shinichi looked down to see little Ran. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine."

Then, Agasa got what he referred to as "A great idea".

"Say, Shinichi?" he asked and the boy in question turned to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"Could you maybe look after Ayaka-Chan? I'm an old man so it'd be harder for me chasing this kid all around," that earned him a glare from Ran, "Plus with all my gadgets and things around the house, it's really not safe for a little girl."

"Maybe…" Shinichi said.
"It'll be great practice for later in life, hmm?" he added in what sounded like a joking manner, but Ran thought there might have been more to it.

"I- fine," Shinichi agreed, "I'll take care of her." The tone he used made it sound like he didn't really want to, but the smile on the corner of his lips implied otherwise.

"Great!"

"Bu-" Ran began to protest… she can't live under the same roof as him and keep her identity a secret! But the professor had grabbed her and whispered: "Shinichi's a detective, if you live with him; chances are you'll find the Men in Black!"

She turned with a cheery smile on her face.

"I wanna stay with Nii-Chan!" she exclaimed.