Some say it was fate. Some say it was meant to be. Edogawa Conan says it was decided by a mad and ignorant man. Who happened to be his cousin, Shinichi Kudo.

The man- high schooler at that time- became MIA when in the second grade of high school. As Conan was living with Shinichi's parents at the time, he found out everything. Shinichi meddled with the most wrong people and had to go in hiding. He had been poisoned, but it failed to work. Thus, driven by curiosity and wanting to help, the boy returned to his home country, living with Shinichi's crush, Mouri Ran. Thanks to the mad neighbor the Kudos had, Conan was able to solve multiple cases. But none brought him close to the truth and the mean to save his cousin.

Make no mistake, Conan loved his cousin like an elder brother. But, when he had to witness the girl that loved Conan as a little brother and Shinichi as a man cry times over times over the missing man, he couldn't help but resent him.

Conan was smart. Maybe smarter than Shinichi was at his age. And he never failed to show it. He had read every book in the Kudo library, every case that had the Kudos in it, and even the famous Kid cases. He knew and learned everything related to mystery. And he loved it. He loved the feeling he had when he resolved case after case, under mask after mask.

Sometimes it was Mouri Kogorou. Other times it was Sonoko-neechan, who was Ran-neechan's best friend.

His mask changed, but it never failed to work.

He also gained a new rival. Kaito Kid, a man with a weird sense of humor and a mission. To steal Pandora. Or so he claimed when Conan cornered him in one heist. 'For being the first one to almost catch him' he said.

Then, Shinichi's best friend, Hattori Heiji appeared from Osaka. He talked with Conan after sending Ran and Kazuha to shopping, telling him Shinichi spend a little while in hiding at his house. Apparently, Shinichi told Heiji to check on him regulary, for fear of being under the radar.

Thus, Shinichi rarely showed himself. But he did sometimes. And he called monthly, to not make Ran worry too much.

(It failed horribly, the girl was a mess after every call. Conan was the one to take care of her after those calls.)One time he did show up, he brought a little girl with him. She was Conan's age, but had stone eyes and a cold heart. And her sister died because Conan wasn't fast enough.

And it broke his heart as he heard her cry and blame him, and he tool it all in.

They became inseparable. They would panic when at school they were separated, or in a crowd they lost one another. Everyone soon found out when it occured during class time.

Kobayashi-sensei noticed the over dependent (as would adults often call it, even if they knew nothing.) behavious between the two, and thought to separe them.

Let it be known that the two told the other everytime where one would go. To bathroom, in the hall to talk with the teacher, called by a classmate to another classroom.

Now, Kobayashi-sensei gave Conan a paper and pushed him out, telling the boy to complete the task. She failed to notice the panicated look Conan and Ai send her way.

But, she noticed when Ai started to hyperventilate. Her face was pale, her breath short.

No one managed to make her snap out of it until Conan arrived, a book in his hand and out if breath. He thrusted the book in his teacher's hands, pushing everyone aside as he caught Ai's hands and called her name. That made her snap out of it, and she became moody as she hid her face in his neck as everyone began whispering and muttering.

Of course, the guardians had been called.

"Is there a reason Ai-chan is depending on Conan-kun so much?" Kobayashi sensei asked, worry deep in her voice.

Ran and Agasa sat at the right and left sides of the two children. Conan and Ai had their hands clasped together, the latter keeping her head down.

(They could hear the quiet buzz outside the classroom. Someone send a scout to find out what happened. Conan was betting on Mitsuhide. The boy was smart.)The guardians had no answer. Ran gave the girl an encouraging smile as she repeated the teacher's question.

Ai didn't reply.

Conan did though. "Ran-neechan, do you remember that case? The one with the woman shot in her chest three months ago?" He asked, ignoring the flinch Ran and Kobayashi made. The grip grew tighter.

"I do. What of it?" Asked Ran hesitant.

"That woman was like a sister to Haibara-san. And I was the last to see her alive. Haibara-san sees in me someone she can trust and someone she believes will never betray her. That's why we never leave the other's sight without telling the other. That's why Haibara-san panicated. Because she didn't knew where I was going."

Ai never talked about that day. Conan didn't either. Neither did their friends, nor Ran or Kobayashi-sensei.

Shinichi asked Conan to protect Ai. He would have done it without him telling that.

Before the beginning of the first year of high school, Conan left for the states. He said it was to tie up some loose ends, but Ai knew it was to talk with the Kudos for the adoption papers he got the other day. He also talked and met with the whole FBI force, speaking and sharing information about the BO.

When asked, Conan refused to talk about Kaito Kid's disapparence. He knew it was tied to the BO and his resolve became stronger.

When he returned, Ai informed him she will go wherever he goes. He wanted a different place. A new begining. So, he chose Ekoda High School, where he knew his three other friends could never follow.

He never would have thought he would stumble upon Pandora. Non literary speaking, though. A witch that had been his informant a while back, a detective that worshiped Sherlock Holmes as much as he did, and the cherry on top, Kaito Kid's son, the second generation of Kaito Kid, Kuroba Kaito himself. Who was apparently looking like him a lot. And was friend with the daughter of the detective that swore to capture and inprison him.

Well, he hoped Ai was having fun, for he was not amused. Not at all... well, maybe a little bit.