Detective Conan, A Christmas Carol
Dalantis
[Rights for "A Christmas Carol" go to Charles Dickens!]
DC, A Christmas Carol Part 1
~Shinichi Kudo~
Shinichi marched down the street, a permanent scowl on his face.
Gosh, he hated Christmas!
There was nothing good about it aside from the load of cases he tackled each day due to the sheer number of greedy people. Well, if nothing else, it did give him more work which in turn gave him more money…and something to pass the time. He supposed he somewhat liked Christmas, if just for those reasons alone.
People scurried out of Shinichi's way left and right. He had a reputation here in the city, a reputation for being a no-nonsense sort of fellow whose track record for taking down killers was probably about as long as Santa's Naughty List. He was one man they didn't want to tick off, especially on Christmas, the day of the year he seemed most hostilely riled.
Slamming the door of his private detective office closed, he threw his coat across the back of his chair and settled behind his desk. Grabbing the newest case report he had printed from the police database, he began skimming it over, trying to find any clue to who may have killed a young child that died early yesterday morning. It was a gruesome case that turned the stomach, but then in a positive light, they were always the best ones for the Media to scavenge coverage for and publicity… well, it was one thing Shinichi adored, because it always meant more clients, which in turn meant more money.
The sound of the office door opening had him peering up with a glare at his assistant. Heiji Hattori was a good guy, according to all the local departments. He had once been a rising star in the police force until a crucial case caused him a severe injury that landed him in the hospital for a year. During that time, he was regrettably fired from his position due to his inability to work and since the day he was released, the injury left him incapable of running. What good is a cop who can't run after the cons trying to escape? For Hattori when asked, he would say there was more to being an officer than being physically active. However the police force refused to hear him out and all attempts at reclaiming his job left him for naught.
That, was when Heiji Hattori met Shinichi Kudo. Kudo was a celebrated hero among the police force and the two were surprisingly compatible with one another almost immediately. Hattori could understand Kudos thoughts and Kudo could read and trust Hattori more than he had ever been able to with anyone ever before. It was for that reason alone, Kudo hired Heiji as his assistant on cases. That, and Heiji had a knack for solving cases about as well as Shinichi himself could (though Shinichi would die before admitting that to anyone). Still, Shinichi's haughty attitude kept the two from becoming anything more than working professionals, despite the many attempts Hattori made at getting to know the man on a more personal level.
"Your late, Hattori," Shinichi scowled.
Heiji rubbed his head sheepishly.
"Sorry Kudo, the wife and kids were having some mechanical trouble at home and I…"
"Yes, yes, you always have an excuse or a reason, don't you?" Kudo growled, throwing his folder down, "I don't pay you to be late. Hurry and start going through the emails Interpol sent me. I need to double check the information we received from Megure for this new case."
Hattori nodded, quickly scrambling to his desk in the next room. Shivering, he looked around the room until he located the temperature control device on the wall.
"Don't touch that!" Shinichi snarled.
Heiji sighed and turned to his boss.
"I just thought it was cold. Don't you want a warmer setting to work in?"
Shinichi frowned, relaxing his tense posture a bit.
"And pay the extra money for a heating bill? No. Now leave it alone and get to work. If your cold, bring an extra sweater tomorrow."
"Tomorrow…" Heiji repeated, "Aren't we…"
He stopped, seeing the glare Shinichi was sending his way.
"I mean…" he swallowed, hesitant yet determined to speak his mind, "…tomorrow is Christmas Kudo."
Shinichi sat down, a neutral expression on his face. "And?"
"And…" Heiji persisted, "aren't we closed that day?"
Kudo peered at him as though he had lost his mind.
"Does crime stop for a holiday?" he asked, but shook his head, "I suppose you would want it off."
"That would be very much appreciated," Hattori nodded, a bit apprehensively.
Shinichi was quiet for a moment before sighing.
"Alright, but be here all the earlier the next morning, alright?"
"Yes sir!" Heiji hollered, smiling with a playful salute before settling onto his desk chair, humming Christmas tunes to himself.
Shinichi rolled his eyes, but said nothing as he began to work on his laptop, typing out answers to the hundred-some emails he had received over the course of one night, when all at once the front door of their office jingled open.
"Merry Christmas~!"
Shinichi cringed at the obnoxious voice of his cousin, Kaito Kuroba.
"Kaito," Shinichi chastised, "it is far too early in the morning for you to be up and about. Don't you sleep late, most mornings?"
Kaito grinned, literally bouncing over to Shinichi's desk.
"Normally yeah, but today is Christmas Eve, Shin-Chan! Isn't it just marvelous?!" he yelled happily, throwing up his arms in order to emphasize his words.
Shinichi sighed, rubbing his head as though he had a headache coming on.
"Marvelous…" he whispered, before grumbling depressingly on, "yes, how flipping fantastic."
Kaito frowned, but immediately flipped his frown upside down again as he turned to greet his cousins assistant.
"Merry Christmas, Hattori-san!"
Heiji smiled, standing up to shake hands with the high spirited man.
Of all the things that still surprised Hattori about working for a man like Kudo, it was how opposite his personality was when compared to the stories he had once heard about the living legend. It was no secret that Shinichi's parents were dead and it was no secret that his aunt and uncle who had raised him had been murdered.
What was a secret, was that the only living relative Shinichi had left was his overly enthusiastic and animated younger cousin, Kaito Kuroba, a famous grand stage, first-class rate Magician whose personality was literally like night and day different from Shinichi's. This of course, was obviously why Kudo had never said a word about Kuroba being family, outside of what was absolutely necessary.
"Merry Christmas to you as well, Kuroba-san." Hattori stated cheerfully.
Kaito smiled, pleased by the response before turning back to his cousin.
"You know I am having a party at my house, tomorrow at noon. You are welcome to join myself, Aoko, and a few friends?"
Shinichi huffed a laugh.
"Yes, well, I believe I will be busy that day. Crime never takes a holiday you know."
Kaito sighed. "Neither do you apparently…" he mumbled before jumping up and down in place, "COME ON SHIN-CHAN~! You never come, so why not just this once?! Pleeeeeaaaasssseeee?"
Shinichi scowled.
"Do not call me that! And no, I will not come. Get out already you pest. I have enough work to do without you bothering me about a silly holiday."
Kaito studied his cousin who ignored him, before sighing.
"Alright Shin, you win, I will leave," He said, stepping towards the door before glancing back at his cousin. "Still, my offer for you to join me in my home remains."
"And so shall my answer remain the same. Now, good day Kaito."
Kaito gave a tight lipped smile in return, saddened by his cousin's response before brightening his expression for Hattori's sake.
"Have a good day, Hattori-san!"
Heiji nodded, noticing the frustration the other attempted to hide. "You as well, Kuroba-san."
Kaito left with a forced smile, whistling merrily as the door snapped shut behind him. Shinichi breathed a sigh of relief before scowling again when the door re-opened.
"I thought I told you to get out Kaito and don't…!" he stopped when he realized it wasn't Kaito in front of him, but a large man in a white coat with a white beard and mustache.
"Ah, do excuse my intrusion." The man stated as he closed the door, "My name is Agasa. Are you Shinichi Kudo?"
Kudo blinked, before quickly nodding and showing the man to a seat in front of his desk. Hattori, noticing the man, quickly shuffled into the room to listen for the possibility it was case related.
"How can I help you today?" Kudo asked curiously, his posture laid back, yet at attention.
The man smiled before handing Kudo his card.
"My name is Agasa, as I said before, and I am here on behalf of the medicinal science department of research and development. We have been looking into cures of all kinds for all sorts of illnesses. Now days, people are in desperate need of assistance for disability and disease. It is our goal to procure for the needy populations, a better chance at survival. For that purpose we have been collecting money towards our research. We…"
"Do you develop poisons?" Shinichi asked.
The man furrowed his brow.
"We…do have some, yes."
"Do you develop or use drugs, such as Heroine, Meth, and Marijuana?"
"No…we try to stay away from those, as they are often used by the…"
"I get it. Sorry Mister…"
"Doctor," the man corrected.
"Doctor Agasa, but my answer is no. I only support the police force and even then, only when it is necessary. Crime will never stop and illness is merely a part of life. What good is a branch such as yours?"
The doctor frowned.
"Mr. Kudo, we help many individuals. The sick and elderly…"
"Should die and decrease the surplus population. They are unneeded for the betterment of society today."
The doctor shook his head, stunned as he stood up; the chair screeching against the floor.
"I think I had better leave," the man mumbled, heading towards the door.
Shinichi nodded in agreement. "Yes, I think you had better."
The door slammed shut and Shinichi sighed. Two annoyances in one day. He would be better off calling it a night and turning in early. If the police needed him, they had his number.
"I am calling it a night Hattori," he said turning to his assistance who stood silent in the doorway.
"Uh yes, alright Kudo," he nodded, "I… do have tomorrow off, right?"
Kudo scowled, but nodded.
"Early the following morning Hattori, you hear me?"
Heiji grinned, nodding. "Thank you Mr. Kudo!"
"Yeah, yeah, be off with you."
Heiji wasted no time in shutting down his computer and making his way towards home. With a sigh, Shinichi turned to his office door and locked it tight before he too headed towards home.
DC, A Christmas Carol Part 2
~Word of Warning~
The streets were dark and filled with fog as Shinichi headed home. He sometimes enjoyed a steady walk down the busy city streets, though it was a rare occurrence now days. As he walked up the sidewalk towards his mansion, he felt a sudden chill run up his spine.
Spinning around, looking for the source, he crept up to the mansion door. He searched for his keys, still keeping an eye out around him. No one was going to be sneaking up on Shinichi Kudo, not if he could help it.
With little success getting out his keys without looking down at what he was doing, he turned back to the door only to freeze at the sight that met him. The doors ancient gold knocker was a bright red, splattered with what looked to be drying blood. Cautiously, he pushed open the door once he had found the correct key, and peeked in the entry way. No sign of anyone, but obviously someone had to be here. The blood hadn't just appeared out of nowhere after all, it…
He paused and snapped his head back around towards the knocker.
The blood… it was gone!
The gold as it usually was shined back at him in a mocking way, spotless of the red that had been there only moments before.
"Must be my imagination…" Kudo whispered shaking his head as he pushed the door closed, "too many crime scenes no doubt," he chuckled.
Up the stairs and to his room, he grabbed the left over lasagna he had sitting in his mini-fridge. He popped it into his microwave before relaxing into his fluffy green chair before the large stone fire place. He never went downstairs more than he had to. His room was his favorite spot in the whole house, filled to the brink with books about different detectives, but none more favored than his beloved Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Grabbing a fork, he scooped up a bite of the sauce covered noodles and prepared to pop them in his mouth when the sound of his front door closing stopped him.
He knew for a fact, he had locked it before heading up the stairs to his room.
Listening for movement, he inaudibly rose from his chair and grabbed the fireplace poker, waiting as he heard the thump of heavy steps on the staircase. When the final step occurred outside his bedroom door, he gripped the poker more firmly in his hands and waited.
…
…
…
Nothing happened.
Stepping forward, he inched his way towards the door. Whoever it was, he knew they were there. He could feel it in his bones, that tension he always got when being followed or watched. Someone was there, waiting for him.
Slowly. Very slowly. He learned forward to grip the doorknob, when all at once it turned on its own!
Then as suddenly as it turned, it stopped.
Silence was all that could be heard and Shinichi could feel his heart racing as he reaffirmed his grip on the fireplace poker.
"I know your there!" he shouted out, tired of their little game, "show yourself!"
And as though in answer to his words, the door swung open, the knob slamming into the wall with force and Shinichi stumbled back in complete disbelief at the sight that met him.
"You…" he whispered as he pointed a shaking finger towards the figure in the doorway, "You're… you're dead!"
Thunder and lightning seemed to flash outside his bedroom window as the woman in the doorway grinned. Her lips were a pale pink color, nearly white in the dim light of the fireplace. Her eyes, a cool granite that seemed to stare into his very soul, no different from how they used to be all those years ago. No different, from how he remembered her to have been.
"Hello Shinichi, it has been a while."
Kudo scowled. "You're dead."
"I am," the woman agreed easily.
"You cannot be here if you are dead," he reasoned, "Who are you really?!"
The woman sighed as she took a step into the room.
"Come no closer, demon! Who are you?!" he shouted.
"In life Shinichi, I was your partner, Shiho Miyano. You and many others, often called me Ai."
Shinichi fervently shook his head.
"That is not possible. Shiho died seven years ago today. She…"
"She was killed during a case, I know. I am her. Shot twice in the chest."
Kudo gasped as Shiho pulled back her blouse revealing two puncture marks in the skin of her upper chest. The bullet holes at first showed nothing but blackness before two rivulets of blood began to bleed down her skin, staining her blouse as it once had all those years ago today. Her tailored clothes, her blonde hair, her looks, her granite colored eyes… all of it, a carbon copy of the day she died.
"You really are…Shiho," he whispered, dropping into his chair as he watched her fix her blouse back into place. "How can this be, I mean… you were dead."
"As I have said Shinichi, I am dead, but I have come not to reveal the afterlife to you, but instead to warn you."
"Warn me?" Shinichi frowned, "am I to die or something?"
"Oh yes. We all die at one time or another Shinichi, but your time is coming. When and how, I know not, but that is not the type of warning I speak of. The warning I speak of, is the saving of your soul."
Shinichi frowned.
"You're speaking nonsense Ai, what does that have to do with…"
"Silence Shinichi and let me finish." The ghost commanded before taking a seat across from him on his couch. "I was once a celebrated scientific investigator. My entire life I dedicated myself to crime for the love of money and fame and glory. For my entire life, I believed myself the richest and most talked about woman in all of Japan. For all of my life."
"And you were!" Shinichi shouted in agreement.
"I was!" Shiho screamed and the windows rattled as Shinichi stared at her, aghast. She screamed and tears of blood ran from her eyes, dripping to floor where they evaporated like water in the heat of the sun. "I was and it gave me nothing but pain and torment in the end!"
"Torment?" Shinichi whispered.
Shiho indicated her bullet wounds once more before showing him her arms and neck and other areas of uncovered skin. All over were open wounds, running with blood and ooze. She stared at him, the white of her eyes now a deep red color that made him shiver with fear.
"These wounds are reminders of my life and the wounds I caused others. Cases I closed where the murderer walked free as an innocent took their place, all for the sake of a camera shot. Cases I fixed for money. Cases I stole from others working under me. People I hurt, lives I destroyed, deaths I caused!" She roared before turning serious once again, fixing him with a death stare (pun not intended).
"Yours Shinichi, will be worse than mine ever were. Worse than my suffering and oh mine is great, but because of the years you have survived me, yours shall be far more and I grieve for you."
"I don't… understand. We have helped people. What does it matter if we get money from it?"
"The money is not the issue Shinichi! The lives we have destroyed doing it is what matters. How many times have you put money before the wellbeing of a client?! How many times have you shoved someone out of your way because they were beneath you?! Shinichi Kudo, the sins you bear are far greater than mine and it will shred your soul a million times more in the afterlife!"
Kudo couldn't help the sudden wave of fear that overtook him and no doubt it showed on his face, because Shiho sighed and calmed down. She wiped the blood out of her eyes and blinked away the red until she looked again as she once had when alive.
"That is why I have come Shinichi. I offer you the chance at redemption."
"Redemption?"
"Tonight you will be visited by three spirits."
"That is the chance you speak of?" he scoffed, crossing his arms. "No thank you."
"You have no choice, Shinichi. This is your only chance. The first will come at midnight. The second an hour later. The final, an hour after that."
"I don't want them, tell them not to come, tell them…"
"My time is no more Shinichi," Shiho interrupted, "but before I go, look out your window and see the souls that haunt the living. If you do not change, they will one day spell your doom."
With those words uttered, Ai vanished out of the room, droplets of blood dribbling before dissolving as though they had never been.
Running to the window, Shinichi yanked it open and stared in horror down at the streets below. Phantoms, each with the most gruesome of wounds and the longest of chains flew by every which way, moaning, screaming, and crying for reprieve. Some circled the living, trying to communicate, but they went unheard.
With a cry of despair and fear, Shinichi slammed the window shut and sank to the floor. God help him, he hoped it all a dream as he crawled to his bed and attempted some shut eye.
Yes, come tomorrow, no doubt, it all will have been a dream.
DC, A Christmas Carol Part 3
~Ghost of Christmas Past~
Shinichi had the covers pulled up over his head, trying (and failing) to fall asleep. The clock on his wall ticked away and he knew, any minute, the clock would strike twelve.
Midnight, was finally upon him.
BONG. BONG. BONG. BONG. BONG.
The clock chimed.
Breathing hard, Shinichi went silent, waiting, praying that it would all prove to have been nothing more than a dream.
It was not his day, he thought to himself, when the window of his bedroom opened and closed without help. He knew, should he pull the covers back; that one of his "ghosts" would be there, watching him.
Sure enough, a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"You can act asleep," a voice replied in a rather bored tone, "but then you would learn nothing and I for one, find that a waste of perfectly good time. You see, I have in fact, been waiting for this moment down to the last tick of the clock and I will not, wait a second longer. Therefore I suggest you cooperate."
Curious, Shinichi peered out from under his covers to find a young man with blonde hair watching him like a hawk, his gaze serious and yet light. His entire body glowed rather unnaturally and he seemed nearly divine, in appearance.
"I am not an angel or a god, if that is what you are thinking," the man corrected him, "I am the ghost of Christmas Past."
"Who's past?" Shinichi asked curiously.
"Your past, of course," the young man replied.
"My past?"
"Why yes, Shinichi Kudo, or have you forgotten the many Christmases you spent as a child and as a teenager?"
"I…have not thought about them in a very great while."
"Then, it is my job to remind you. We can do this the hard way, but I would rather you take my hand and allow me to guide you." Stretching out his hand, the spirit waited. "Will you consent?"
Shinichi peered at the outstretched hand uncertainly. The guy looked friendly enough, but he is a ghost. What if he had a different scheme in mind? Perhaps he was here to hurt Shinichi rather than help?
The ghost huffed, rolling brown eyes in a rather aggravated manner.
"Take my hand Kudo-san, time is of the essence."
Slowly, cautiously, Kudo stretched out his hand and clasped the others. In that single moment, the room around them shifted and he found himself standing outside an old and familiar building.
"My elementary school…" he whispered and the spirit smiled.
"You remember this place then?"
"Like I could truly forget," Shinichi laughed, "I spent many years in this building. It served as both a school and a boarding home for boys. Why, my best friend and I met here and we…" he stopped himself, frowning. "It was a long time ago," he finished lamely.
The ghost nodded in agreement.
"You met your best friend, Conan Edogawa here."
Shinichi couldn't help the bitter sweet smile that crossed his expression.
"Yes, we… he was a young genius who had no real friends. He was so little and young compared to the rest of us, that they… many did not take to him kindly. He and I however hit it off right away and we…"
"You became close?" the spirit guessed.
"Yes, we did."
"He died, did he not?"
Shinichi frowned, nodding.
"Yes, an illness took his life. He had it since birth and it destroyed his immune system. Slowly and over time, it ate away at him until there was literally, nothing left. He would have been, without a doubt, a great man had life given him the opportunity. Instead, he did not even reach his thirteenth birthday."
"It is best to remember the happier times you shared, but his death impacted your own life greatly." The spirit stretched out his hand, pointing in the distance and Kudo followed his direction with curiosity.
The sight that met him astounded Shinichi as he peered on in bewilderment as Conan and he as young children walked by, talking rapidly with one another.
Desperate, Kudo reached out a hand to his friend, but to his surprise, it passed right through him.
"This is but a shadow of things that once were; he cannot feel or hear you," the spirit explained with a sympathetic look.
Shinichi nodded in understanding.
"Come," the spirit stated, taking his hand, "let us see another memory."
Shinichi blinked and found himself in a new room. This one was the old study room in the school library. He always spent hours there reading. His father and mother traveled often and the rest of his family were busy living their lives. He expected no one to stop what they were doing just to make time for him, an unwanted child. Still, he never resented his parents or family for it.
"I now admire them for that," he said aloud.
The ghost frowned, having heard his thoughts.
"So you say, but back then, did you not wish for someone to love you? For someone, to acknowledge you existed?"
Shinichi stayed silent as he peered on at his sixteen year old self. Conan had died two years earlier in this memory, but he refused to dwell on that knowledge as he turned to the spirit. "I was always alone."
"There is someone who cared," the ghost replied just as the door of the library flew open, nearly smashing through the wall. The Shinichi in the memory, as well as the present one, jumped, both startled by the sudden entrance.
The young Shinichi holding a hand over his heart peered accusatorily at the doorway where a panting boy his own age stood, a large grin stretched across his red face.
"Kaito!" young Shinichi admonished, "You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Sorry," Kaito laughed. It was obvious he wasn't at all sorry for his actions. "Cousin, guess what?!"
Shinichi both in the present and the past sighed.
"He always could get a bit over excited," Shinichi muttered, but he had a warm expression on his face as he watched his cousin's younger self nearly tackle his younger self off the chair. They had always been close, strangely enough, considering their less than similar qualities.
"Shinichi, I asked mother and father this year if you could come and spend Christmas with us!"
The Shinichi in the memory kept a neutral expression, not showing his own emotions escalate at this news.
"Normally," Kaito continued on, obliviously, "they say no because of your father and mother being there, but this year, they said "screw the old bags!" and have invited you over! Isn't that wonderful?!"
Shinichi in the memory smiled, jumping up and hugging his cousin tightly, which Kaito just as eagerly returned.
"That is indeed great news cousin," he choked on a sobbed laugh.
Kaito grinned, his entire face lit up with excitement and joy. "Hurry and grab your coat, I have a cab waiting for us outside!"
The two boys grabbed Shinichi's things before rushing from the room with giant smiles on their faces. Shinichi Kudo who was watching the memory followed the pair with his eyes.
"Dear Kaito…" he whispered with a sad smile.
"Kaito still lives, does he not?" the spirit asked.
"Yes…" Shinichi nodded, "he does."
"You are no longer close to one another?"
Shinichi was silent a moment before answering.
"Things change spirit. A lot happened between this memory and the present. I sometimes forget just how close we once were. He… he does not need someone like me in his life. My cousin is not a normal man. He… the best way I know to describe him is like a blinding light; a flame that does not ever extinguish. He is the kindest soul I have ever known and I… mine is one shrouded in darkness. I fear to corrupt him."
"Let us see another memory," the spirit replied after a moment of silence.
He snapped his fingers and the two found themselves in an old high school gymnasium, surrounded by boys and girls of all ages, dancing and talking, having a good old time.
"This is our senior Christmas party at school," Kudo whispered in awe.
Shinichi stepped forward, looking around the room at the familiar faces he had once known before his eyes landed on his old homeroom teacher, Genzo Nakamori.
"Nakamori-sensei!" he shouted with a dazed laugh, "Why, the man looks alive and energetic as ever."
Smiling, Shinichi circled him, shaking his head. It was unreal seeing all of this again as it once had been.
"His daughter eventually went on to marry Kaito, you know," he told the spirit who smiled and nodded in interest, "and her best friend… Ran…" Shinichi stopped, a frown beginning to form, "she had once been about to marry me."
As if saying the words revealed the chosen memory, he turned in silence to stare at the beautiful young woman who had just stepped into the gymnasium. Dressed in a red gown with white gloves, her black hair flowed behind her as she sheepishly brushed a strand behind her ear and started towards Shinichi.
Gulping, he reached out to meet her, only for her to pass through him and head to his younger self, Kaito, and Aoko who stood in the corner of the room with cups of red punch in their hands.
Shinichi watched her smiling and laughing with his past and he felt a fresh pain course through him.
"You loved her?" the spirit asked.
"I did," he nodded, "I had thought back then, that she also loved me."
The memory changed again and he found himself outside by a park bench. Ran sat on the bench dressed in a casual pink top with a white skirt and a gray coat, as she watched Kudo's younger self with a deep sadness. Shinichi didn't need to watch this memory for long to know what was about to happen. He still knew her words by heart.
"Can we move on?" Kudo asked the spirit, but the blonde ignored him as he stared past his charge to the memory beyond. Sighing, Shinichi turned back to watch what he already knew to be, a moment, that had changed his life. Whether for the better or worse, he was still undecided.
…Or at least he had been, before he began to watch it play out in front of him.
"I do not understand!" his younger self growled, "Why do you wish to go to America? Have I done something wrong? Have I offended you? Wronged you?"
Ran shook her head, tears beginning to prick at the corners of her eyes.
"You loved me once, Shinichi. Since the day we started dating, I knew you always loved me. Recently however, a new idol has taken my place."
"An idol?" the younger Shinichi growled.
"Yes, one of grim facts and hard cash. Crime, Shinichi, all you do is work now days. You never take time for us anymore."
"Is it so bad that I wish to provide for you and myself?!" The young Shinichi shouted.
Ran shook her head sadly and Shinichi felt his heart break for the second time over the same moment in history. He wished to the high heavens he could reach out and hold her. God, how he wish he could go back and redo this moment …or at least… have a second chance with her.
"No, but to you…," Explained Ran as she stood up and stepped towards her lover, "…You who have begun to care so much for the future and your position; would you give it all up for me, a penniless girl with a dream calling to her from another country? Would you give all that up, for me?"
Shinichi turned his head away and his expression went neutral. Ran nodded and the present Shinichi struggled not to try and take action against the shadows of his past.
"Goodbye Shinichi. I hope for you a future, as great as what you wish it to be."
As Ran walked away, his younger self turned to stare after her, longingly. He started to move towards her, but then stopped, pulling back.
"No!" shouted Shinichi at his younger self, "Go after her! Make the girl yours! What are you doing you fool, she is moving slow on purpose! Go after her! Can you not tell she is waiting for you?!"
But neither turned back to one another and eventually the memory faded into darkness.
"Let me go back spirit! I want to see no more! I want to hear no more!" he cried, his eyes closed tightly against the sights of a badly made choice, "I cannot handle the pain! Let me go home! Let me go home!"
And when Shinichi re-opened his eyes, he was home in his bed and he peered in silence at the clock about to strike one.
"I will not do it again," he proclaimed and dug himself into his covers to hide from the chiming clock on the wall, announcing one in the morning had arrived. "I will not. Do it. Again." And Shinichi Kudo closed his eyes.
DC, A Christmas Carol
~Ghost of Christmas Present~
The clock tolls one.
Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong.
Kudo whipped the covers back, glaring around the dark empty room, ready to dare any spirit that arrives to take him out of his bed by force.
However, nothing appears.
At first, Kudo is determined to wait in his bed, but when a bright light suddenly appears outside his bedroom door, he can't help the urge to find out its source. Ever the detective, he walks slowly and cautiously around the corner and stares in wonder at the sight that meets his eyes.
"Ah, there you are!" a cheerful voice states, as Shinichi walks further into the room, peering around in disbelief. Where his long hall had once been, a room filled to the brink with candles and sweets of all kinds lay before him. In the center of the room is a long wooden table and at the furthest end from him, a figure in white sat smiling as he popped candy into his mouth one after the other.
"Who are you?" Kudo whispered, stepping a bit closer to the figure who was watching him with a wide smile.
The fellow in white laughed heartily as he lowered his feet from the table where he had been reclining.
"That should be rather obvious, detective, should it not?"
Kudo frowned.
"I take it you're a spirit then?"
The man shrugged. "I prefer the term Phantom, but yes, I am as you call me, the spirit or ghost of Christmas Present."
With those words, the spirit stood up, his white silky cape and suit seemed to brighten around him as he lowered his top hat in a showman's bow.
"Surely you have known my brothers?" the phantom asked with a curious smile.
"Brothers?" Shinichi asked, "You have many?"
The phantom laughed and strangely enough, Kudo found himself enjoying the cheerful sound.
"Lots, but that's beside the point. Come, touch my cape and we shall be on our way."
Kudo frowned, crossing his arms as he took a step back.
"Look, I already told the first one, I am not doing this again."
The phantom sighed, though his smile remained permanently etched on his face.
"I thought it would be like this," he muttered before waving his hand around the room.
Shinichi raised an eyebrow in confusion when all at once the floor around him began to vanish. Startled, he jumped back, nearly running into the spirit who just laughed as he steadied him.
"Um…this won't…you know? Kill me, right?" Shinichi asked nervously.
The phantom looked at him like he had asked if snow was really cold.
"Do I look like someone who would kill?" the phantom asked with a hint of disgust before it quickly vanished and was replaced once again with a mask of cheer. "Take my cape and all will be well."
Shinichi found himself left with no other options as the floor began to eat away quicker.
Taking the spirits cape into his hands, he was amazed at the material he felt beneath his fingers. It was like… holding onto a physical form of water, yet still a liquid. The material seemed to move beneath his fingertips as he stepped closer to the spirit in white as the walls around him vanished and he found himself standing in the middle of a busy street bustling with people moving to and fro for last minute Christmas dinner items.
Horns honked and people chattered away as Shinichi watched it all in mild interest.
"Quite lively, huh?" the spirit asked with a cheerful smile.
Kudo shrugged. "I suppose."
The spirit frowned at the bored response, tugging Shinichi after him towards a house on the street corner.
"Where are we?" he asked the phantom as they walked towards the front door.
"Of course you would not recognize the home of your own employee," the spirit stated with a shake of his head, "come. This is the home of your faithful assistant, Heiji Hattori."
Shinichi had only a moment to prepare himself before they literally walked through the closed door and onto the other side. Looking back in amazement, his attention was pulled when he heard voices all around him.
"Mother, when will father be home?" a young boy was asking.
The woman he was speaking to sighed. She was a lovely young woman, tanned with dark brown hair and a kind, friendly gaze. Her clothes were a bit ragged and her face and apron were covered with smudges from the grill, but she smiled as she turned to answer the boy.
"Hopefully soon, Genta. Your brother is with him, so it may take them some time. You know how much Mitsuhiko loves looking around town."
Genta nodded as a little girl came walking into the kitchen.
"Mother, I finished setting the table. Anything else I can help with?"
The woman smiled, shaking her head.
"No, you did all I needed you to. Thank you Ayumi."
The little girl nodded as she peered out the window.
"Mother, is grandma Shizuka coming for Christmas?"
"Afraid not sweetheart. Grandma lives very far away and she felt unwell this season. She thought it best not to get out to much, since Grandpa is no longer around to help her. God rest his soul."
"Okay,"Ayumi sighed, heartbroken.
The mother smiled as she went over and swept her child into a fierce hug.
"Tell me when your father arrives. I want everything perfect before he gets here."
Ayumi nodded as she raced back to the window.
Shinichi looked on as the family prepared for Christmas dinner. He himself had never witnessed the act before, as his own family rarely celebrated the holiday, but he found himself captivated nonetheless.
"Mama, daddy is coming!" the little girl yelled several minutes later.
The woman quickly took off her apron and straightened her hair, no doubt not having realizing she had charcoal smudges across her face. The door opened and Shinichi watched in interest as Heiji Hattori entered, followed by a wobbling boy on crutches.
"Sorry we are late, Kazuha." He stated as he helped his son take off his coat, "Mitsuhiko wanted to see the lights decorating the neighborhood and well…I couldn't say no."
The woman smiled as she greeted her family with a kiss.
"What an excuse," she chided, but grinned to show she was joking. Heiji smiled, taking her face in his hands as he looked her over, his smile widening.
"I can tell you have been busy," he stated, winking at his kids who had also noticed her face, "you look like a kitchen goddess."
Kazuha smirked.
"Nice try sucking up," she joked as she playfully pushed him away and turned back to set the last of the food on the table.
Hattori smiled as he followed his family into the dining room and took a seat in the chair at the front of the table, looking over the many small portioned plates before him. It wasn't much of a celebration, but he wouldn't have it any other way, than with his family.
"Shall we pray?" he asked, offering his hand to his wife and son on either side of him. The two quickly took his hand as they linked hands with the other two furthest from Hattori as their father closed his eyes and began to thank God for the meal prepared before them.
Shinichi watched on with a frown.
"The food looks good," he commented, ignoring the elephant in the room.
The phantom in white however had no issue with pointing out the obvious.
"Yes, but there is very little to this meager meal."
Shinichi was silent as he listened to the family finish their prayers.
"God bless everyone," the little boy, Mitsuhiko stated, as the rest of the family smiled.
"Amen," concluded Hattori as they began to dish out the portions.
Shinichi peered closely at the little boy to his left. Mitsuhiko had a pale coloring, nearly blue in the face as though not getting enough oxygen. There was obviously something wrong with him.
"Is he ill spirit?"
"Phantom," the spirit corrected as it gave a nod, "and yes, the boy is ill. I believe you are familiar with the disease he bears."
Shinichi snapped his attention to the ghost who for the first time, looked grim.
"You mean… like Conan… he…"
The spirit was silent.
"Will Mitsuhiko live?"
"What do you care?" the phantom snapped back at him, "shouldn't he just die and decrease the surplus population?"
Shinichi winced, remembering how he had spouted those very words this morning. Now, he realized the weight of those words.
Seeing his remark had hit home, the phantom closed his eyes and Shinichi watched in wonder as the phantom literally grew dim before his very eyes.
"I see an empty chair at the table and a pair of crutches without an owner. These things I see however, are shrouded in shadow."
Shinichi nodded before turning his attention back to the family.
"We have much to see before my time here is done. Come."
The phantom whirled his cape before Shinichi's eyes, blocking his view, and the next sight he saw before him was no longer the home of his assistant, but of the Kuroba manor.
Laughter filled Kudo's ears as he looked on in curiosity where his cousin Kaito stood, surrounded by people Shinichi somewhat recognized.
"That's Saguru Hakuba, the police superintendent." Shinichi pointed out to the spirit, as if he didn't know. "He was classmates with Kaito and me. There at his side, that girl there is Aoko, Kaitos wife and my former teacher's daughter. On his other side, I believe that to be Izumi, Hakuba's new wife. A surgeon of great skill they say. And there is…"
"Shall we play a game?" the voice of his cousin burst through the silence and completely interrupted the train of thought Shinichi had going.
"Kaito, we know how good you are at mimicking another person. Show us one and we shall guess," Aoko suggested.
"Good idea," nodded Saguru, as he drank the last of his champagne, "I won't fail this time, old chap."
Kaito smirked. "You're on, Hakuba."
As Kaito began his first impersonation, Shinichi watched, captivated by his performance. It reminded him so much of how he and his cousin had been as children. Even back then, Kaito's favorite game had always been charades and truthfully, Shinichi had always quite enjoyed it too.
"Oh I know!" Izumi suddenly shouted, "Its Darth Vader, from star wars!"
Kaito grinned. "Close, Izumi-chan."
Shinichi shook his head emphatically. "How is that Darth Vader? He isn't even masking his face like Vader's breathing device. No, the way he is holding himself, it has to be…"
"Darth Sidious."
Shinichi turned to Hakuba who smirked triumphantly at the magician.
"Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!" Kaito grinned, "Okay, I bet you can't guess this one!"
Shinichi watched in interest, fully captivated by his cousins performance, but this one… he wasn't sure who it was.
Kaito glared as he walked, his hands in his pockets. He stopped once or twice, listening or looking intently at something before glancing around and pulling out his wallet to count his money. Once satisfied, he would nod his head and continue walking again, a deep scowl etched on his face.
"I don't know this one," admitted Shinichi, turning to the spirit beside him who stayed silent, his facial expression obscured by the monocle he wore over his right eye.
"Oh I know!" the voice of another guest shouted, but Hakuba interrupted.
"Please Kaito, this was an easy one. It's your cousin, Shinichi Kudo."
Kaito laughed and the others followed suit as Aoko stood up, playfully shoving her husband.
"Really Kaito and here I had been thinking hard about it."
"Overthinking, my dear, will strain your brain," he laughed and Aoko hit him in the arm, forcing the magician to back up, raising his hands in quick surrender.
Shinichi just stared at his cousin and former classmates. Is that… is that how they saw him? Turning to the spirit, he noticed his pitying look. Refusing to acknowledge it, he turned his attention back to the party.
"But for sure Kaito, I was truly shocked when you told me your relation to the man. I have always been impressed by Kudo's abilities, but his personality… well, it was not anything anyone expected it to be. To think he is even related to you, the energizer bunny on steroids, is rather… unbelievable."
Kaito smiled a grim smile.
"It was not always so," he stated, shaking his head, "Surely you remember him, Saguru? Shinichi was always studious and kind as a young boy."
"I am afraid I don't remember him ever being like that. Then again, I never talked to him much outside the classroom and even then, I barely interacted with the man."
"Kaito is correct, Sgauru." Aoko stated, stepping up by her husband as they stood around, refilling their glasses. "Shinichi was at one time, a friendly and rather charismatic individual, but that all changed shortly after we graduated. Ran often spoke about to me about what occurred. It had been a… messy breakup, to put it simply."
Kaito nodded in agreement, frowning.
"My friends," he stated, forcing a smile to his face like no other could, "It is Christmas and this is a time for celebration. We should not think of the things we cannot change, but instead look towards changing the things we can."
"Such as?" Hakuba asked, downing his glass.
"Such as what we can do for others to make their holiday a very merry thing."
"Kaito, you have such a big heart," Aoko stated, stepping up as she pulled her husband close and kissed his cheek, "Shinichi was wrong to refuse your offer, after all you have done for him in the past and even now, going out of your way to send him a gift each year anonymously."
Kudo blinked when he heard those words. All those gifts he received over the past several years in front of his mansion door; that had been Kaito?
"It is barely anything," his cousin corrected with the shake of his head, "I only wish I could do more to show him I care."
"You have and maybe… one day… he will see that."
"Yes and in the meantime," agreed Hakuba, "we can only pity him for having missed out on this divine meal and good company. Well… mostly good company."
The blonde man looked pointedly at Kaito who glared playfully back.
"You can be kicked out of here, Saguru."
"Oh?" the blonde challenged.
"Now, now boys," Aoko warned, stepping in between them as she rolled her eyes, "Really, how old are you?"
The two burst out laughing as Aoko joined in, all three smiling and drinking while Shinichi could only watch, dismal and depressed. He had done this to himself; He knew it, but he had never realized… had he truly changed so much that even Kaito, his own cousin, no longer recognized him as Shinichi Kudo?
"Phantom," he stated, turning to the spirit of Christmas Present, "tell me…can I truly change?"
The phantom who had his back to Shinichi chuckled, his shoulders shaking.
"Everyone can change, young meitantei. The question is, are you willing to make the change needed in order to save your soul and your future? Only you can change your destiny."
The spirit turned and Shinichi stared at him in concern.
"Are you… are you dying?"
The spirits face was as white as freshly fallen snow. As white as his uniform, now crinkled and worn with what looked to be age. His skin had shriveled a bit and his dark hair had magically grayed.
"My time on this earth is very short," he stated as the room around them vanished into darkness, "I am but the keeper of a single present moment. A moment so small, even the spirit of the past has trouble seeing it among his multitude of numbers. As I die however, another like me shall take my place. It is but a never ending cycle and I… merely its tool."
Shinichi nodded, before suddenly spotting something hidden behind the man's white cape.
"Excuse my rudeness phantom, but…behind you, under your cape… there seems to be… something odd. Is it perhaps a claw or maybe even… a foot?"
The phantom smiled grimly as he nodded.
"I suppose it could be a claw with how bare the skin is upon it. Look here Kudo, I forewarn you of these."
The phantom detached his cape, allowing it to fall as two children appeared. Shinichi stepped back, startled by the savage eyes they held and the bone thin appearance they had. They gripped the spirit desperately, but they stared at Shinichi, watching him like a hawk watches a mouse. They felt like death.
"Beware these two, Shinichi Kudo. The boy is ignorance and the girl is want. The boy is the most dangerous of all."
"Are they… are they yours?"
"They are mans," the phantom corrected, "man's own self-created monsters. It is crucial you never forget them. They follow mankind like an unseen shadow in the day and in the night. They are there, ever crying to be heard. Ever stalking those who cannot hear. They take those in the night and in the day and they feast upon their souls. Beware them, Kudo-kun, they hunt you as they do anyone."
Shinichi shook his head, backing up.
"Be gone spirit and take those… those demon children with you! I will not have them following me, I cannot… I cannot deal with this knowledge!"
Closing his eyes, Shinichi ran as fast as he could away from the spirit and only when he smacked into something, did he open his eyes.
DC, A Christmas Carol
~The Ghost of Christmas Future~
There before him, was a brick wall and not just any brick wall, but the police headquarters outside wall.
"Where the heck…" he started before a single individual caught his attention.
Standing several feet from him, Shinichi peered nervously at the woman watching him with a predators gaze. Her hair was a fiery red color, draping across her shoulders and down her back. Her eyes, a deep crimson that seemed to be reading his every thought. Her lips, a glossy blood red. Her clothes were a lacey black and she held in her hand a small black book.
"Shinichi Kudo," she greeted.
"Y-Yes," he stated, "You… are you, the spirit of Christmas Future?"
The woman hummed in answer as she stepped forward, beckoning him to follow with her finger which he noted had long nails, almost like claws, painted a red color the same as her lips.
Stepping inside, Shinichi looked around at the actively working officers he saw during his weekly trips to the precinct.
"Did you hear the news?" one of them whispered.
"Yeah," another nodded, "Do they know how it happened yet?"
"Not a clue." The third guy stated with the shake of his head, "Supposedly the guy was in bed when it happened."
"Someone has guts to kill him in his own home. I sure wouldn't have done it."
"Couldn't have happened to a nicer fellow though, huh?" one officer laughed.
The other two whispering back and forth with him nodded, also laughing.
"You could say that again," they joked.
"His body is in the morgue, isn't it?"
"Yeah, Megure has demanded an autopsy. The inspector is the only one who seems to really care the man is dead."
"Doubtful, I think it's only because it's a murder that the inspector is acting the way he is. If the guy had died in his sleep without a real cause, I bet even the inspector wouldn't be all of too worked up about it."
"I don't know. I heard they were having a funeral for the guy next Saturday. You going?"
"Is there free food?"
"How the hell should I know?"
"Well if there is, I will go. I doubt there will be anyone else really attending. Fellow doesn't have any family does he?"
"I don't know. There might be someone, but never really took the time to find out. Guy never was one for chit chat."
At that moment Megure waltzed in.
"What are you lazy dogs doing?! I don't pay you to gossip, get to work!"
The three officers kicked themselves into gear as Shinichi turned to the spirit standing behind him.
"Tell me, who were they talking about? Their words were so bitter. Has a mass murderer died?"
The spirit pointed towards the elevator. Shinichi walked with her as they both stepped inside. He stayed on edge as they made their way to the bottom. When they stepped out, he took a deep breath when he spotted the body lying before them on a metal slab, covered by a plain white sheet.
"Spirit… I fear thee and the future more than any other. Tell me, please, does no one care about this man? Isn't there anyone who feels anything concerning the death?"
She touched the closest table and Shinichi stepped forward, peering intently over her shoulder at the table as it shimmered and came to life with a moving scene.
"Heiji…" he whispered.
The sight of his assistant crying caused an ache to form in his heart, but he ignored it as he continued to watch.
"My little boy…" Hattori cried, "He was too young to die. My little boy. My Mitsuhiko… my Mitsu-"
Kazuha came up behind her husband, hugging him against her as she too wept. Their son, their littlest, was dead."
"No… No!" shouted Shinichi backing up from the spirit and from the table, however when he did, his back bumped against another table.
Turning, he stared in fear at the covered body before him.
"This cannot be spirit, this cannot be! I cannot look under his sheet, but tell me spirit!" he turned to her, desperate for an answer, "who is this man… this desolate man, who is hated like none other?"
The room faded and Shinichi found himself standing in a graveyard before a single marker, simple in appearance. The writing was covered in snow, unreadable, but as the wind whipped around him, Shinichi noticed the name becoming clearer until finally he could make out its letters.
"Here Lies Shinichi Kudo," he whispered, his voice shivering as he fell to his knees before the open grave, "Please spirit. Tell me I can change this, please, tell me it isn't too late."
Kudo dug his head into the snow, his eyes clenched closed as he cried out desperately to the spirit watching him from behind. "Tell me I can change this, tell me that the future isn't set in stone! Spirit! PLEASE!"
His voice echoed through the silence and the sound of a clock had him opening his eyes to the light of his own bedroom window. Peering up from his bed where he found himself kneeling, he slowly stepped onto the hard floor and looked around.
He was alive. He was alive!
Running to the window, Shinichi threw it open as he looked down at the street below him.
Smiling, he called out to the nearest child who passed his way.
"Boy!"
The child stopped and looked up.
"Yes you, child. Tell me, what day is today?"
"Come again sir?" the child yelled back.
"The day, boy, what day is today?"
"Why, it's Christmas Day!"
"The spirits have done it all in one night," he whispered with a laugh, "then again they are spirits, they can do anything they like."
Still smiling, he called down.
"Meet me at the front door son and I will give you some money. I need for you to run down to the local grocery and buy for me the biggest bird you can. When you buy it, deliver it to the home of Heiji Hattori in Ekoda. Do it in half the time it normally takes and I will give you fifty dollars for you to keep for yourself!"
The child scurried towards the front door as Shinichi laughed and made his way downstairs to meet him.
DC, A Christmas Carol
~Facing the Past~
Shinichi stood outside the door of his cousins, uncertain. After so many years ignoring the man, he hoped to God that Kaito might find it in his heart to forgive him and allow him another chance at being the family his cousin deserved.
Anxiously, he knocked loud and hard on the front door.
Laughter filtered through the door, along with the sound of music as a maid opened it.
"Hello sir," she greeted with a smile, "Can I take your coat?"
"Yes, please," he responded with his own smile, "Is your master home?"
The maid nodded.
"I am his cousin. Mind if I see myself in?"
She shook her head as he made his way towards the room he knew the celebration to be taking place. As he walked closer, he could hear their words.
"Darth Sidious," came the voice of Saguru Hakuba.
"Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!" Kaito laughed, "Okay, I bet you can't guess this one!"
Silence passed for a moment and Shinichi watched from the hall, a frown on his face as he once again faced the truth of his visit from the spirits. However this time, he could do something about it.
"Oh I know!" another guest shouted out, but Hakuba interrupted.
"Please Kaito, this was an easy one. It's…"
"Shinichi," Kaito whispered.
They all froze as Kaito dropped his hands to his side, his expression one of shock and disbelief as stared where Shinichi stood quietly with a timid smile.
"Good evening everyone, I know I missed dinner, but… if you will have me… might I celebrate with you on this fine occasion for the rest of the night?"
Kaito was silent a moment more before a grin fifty times brighter than his usual appeared across his face.
"Join us? My dear man, you can be the guest of honor!" he laughed as he wrapped his cousin in a hug that hadn't softened or mellowed since they were children, "It truly is great to see you!"
Shinichi smiled as he was handed a glass of Champaign and gazed at the friendly faces all around him before turning back to his cousin.
"It is truly great to be here."
DC, A Christmas Carol
~A New Future~
Shinichi chuckled to himself as he watched Hattori come walking up the front steps of the office the following day. Preparing himself for the hardest act of his life, he scowled and stood waiting with his hands behind his back in a casual yet serious manner.
Hattori opened the door and started towards his office when Kudo called to him.
"Heiji Hattori, come in here."
Hattori sighed as he turned, rubbing nervously behind his neck.
"Sorry I am late Kudo, my family and I were having quite the time yesterday on Christmas and I found myself sleeping far better than I usually do and I…"
"Enough of your excuses Hattori," Shinichi growled, "I have had enough of this."
Hattori winced as he waited for the words he knew were coming.
"I am going to… I am going to raise your salary!"
Heiji blinked before slowly looking up, wondering if this was a nasty joke Kudo had come up with in order to punish him for being late.
Shinichi grinned and Hattori scrubbed a hand over his eyes, certain he was seeing things. Because Shinichi Kudo smiling, that just never happened.
"I am not kidding Hattori, I am raising your salary and if you would have me, I would like to make you my partner."
Heiji stared.
"I…am honored you feel that way Kudo, but…I am a taken man and…"
"Not like that!" Kudo groaned, realizing his reason for taking it like that was pure disbelief at what he was hearing, "I want to make you my business partner. What do you say?"
Stretching out his hand, Hattori stared at it for several moments before looking up at him, his expression starting to brighten.
"You… you really mean it?"
"I don't say this to just anyone. Well?"
Hattori grasped his hand firmly, shaking it vigorously. "Y-Yes, of course I will! Thank you sir, uh Kudo! This is… thank you!"
Shinichi grinned.
"Don't thank me yet," he stated as he turned and picked up two envelopes, "this first one goes to a Dr. Hiroshi Agasa of the Medicinal Science Research Facility. Send it to him by way of the post office, please."
Hattori nodded as Shinichi pointed to the second envelope without a name.
"Inside is… well, it's a check for a blank amount. When I hear back from Agasa, I will write the amount needed on this check and it will be used to pay for your son's medical care."
Hattori dropped into the nearest chair with tears in his eyes.
"S-Shinichi, how can I ever thank you for this?"
Kudo smiled.
"Get that boy well, hmm?"
Hattori nodded as he quickly got up and grabbed his coat, slipping it back on from where he had tossed it upon walking in.
"And Hattori…" Shinichi called after him.
Heiji turned to his former boss.
"Merry Christmas."
Hattori just stared before a smile split his face, wider and brighter than the first.
"Merry Christmas to you to sir."
And Shinichi smiled as the door to their office gently tapped shut.
DC, A Christmas Carol
~Epilogue~
Shinichi was working away at his desk when the door jingling grabbed his attention.
"Hattori?" he called without looking up, "I just got a call from Megure regarding the case and…"
Shinichi stopped when the footsteps silently stalled in front of his desk. Looking up, he stayed silent, unsure of what to say, at the sight of the unexpected, before him.
With a smile like the one he remembered, though slightly aged, a gentle voice greeted him.
"Hello again Shinichi."
Kudo stood, unable to stop his bewildered stare.
"Ran… why are you..."
The young woman, aged with the years they had been apart, gave a faint smile, as she slipped the dark cape off from around her shoulders.
"I got a call from Aoko several years ago, stating how much you had changed. At the time, I did not believe her, but then I noticed in the newspaper an increased number of cases concerning you and your partner, Heiji Hattori. I also noticed them saying quite a few good things about you. I decided I needed to see the change for myself."
"And?" Shinichi asked, "What do you see?"
Ran was silent a moment before a warm, genuine smile graced her lips.
"I see the man I have always loved and who has finally returned to me."
Shinichi stepped forward, a gentle hand brushing the stray hair that stuck out from behind her ear away from her face.
"You are unwedded?" he asked in a whisper.
Ran smiled as she kissed his fingertips.
"How could I marry, when I already found my true love all those years ago?" Grasping his hands, she whispered back, "Shinichi, why did you make me wait so long?"
Kudo smiled as he leaned in, brushing his lips against her own before pulling back.
"Forgive me, my dear," he whispered, "it seems the spirits of Christmas were needed for me to understand all I had lost and what I might lose."
"Then I owe the spirits of Christmas for bringing you back to me, but first, it has been… far too long."
Shinichi nodded in agreement as he leaned down and captured her lips.
"Far too long…" he whispered in agreement against them and the two lived happily, ever after.
AUTHORS NOTE:
Shinichi got that right! This took me FARRRRRRR to long to get out! Sorry about that :/
I hope you liked it though and yeah, the ending was a bit different from the normal Christmas Carol, but then, this isn't the normal one is it? XD I do hope you enjoyed it!
Comments? See you next chapter and Hope you all had a Merry Christmas!
WARNING: this will be uploaded into Bloody Rose, Tales of a Kaitou and as its own story. Read whichever you like :)
In case you didn't figure out, this was the cast placements:
Shinichi Kudo was Scrooge from the original
Kaito Kuroba was the Cousin in the story and Nephew from the original
Kid was the 2ndGhost
Akako was the 3rdGhost
Saguru Hakuba was the Friend at the party and 1stghost (based on him anyways)
Heiji Hattori was Bob Cratchet from the original
Aoko was Kaito's wife
Kazuha was Heiji's wife
Ai aka Shiho Miyano was Jacob Marley from the original
Conan Edogawa was the Best friend in the story and Fran from the original (sort of)
Ayumi and Genta were Heiji's kids
Mitsuhiko was Tiny Tim from the original
Shizuka Hattori was the Grandmother in the story and Martha from the original (sort of)