Prologue:
Kaito went overseas and suddenly lost contact with Aoko in Japan. Then news came to her that Kaito got caught up in an accident and even his mother refused to talk about it.
Aoko is worried and her fear of losing him got to her.
I know, I know, I just know
You're not gone. You can't be gone. No.
"Hey, Kaito, when are you coming back? You haven't even told me the reason why you left" Aoko said resting her chin over her palm as she raised an eyebrow on Kaito who was on screen.
"Ah, no, no, it doesn't concern you anyway. I'm with mom so you don't have to worry okay?" Kaito gave her a reassuring smile to wipe the worrying off her face that she's trying so hard to hide but knowing her for almost ten years now, he's become capable of seeing through her even if they're one screen away.
"C'mon, Bakaito. Don't tell me you just went there to skip our preliminaries! You afraid I'm going to beat you to it?" she teased.
Kaito rolled his eyes and before he could talk back, he heard his mom call from downstairs, "As much as I would want to prove you I'll have better grades than yours, I need to go. Sorry, Ahoko, see you!" Kaito waved his hand and quickly turned his video chat off, logged out and shut his laptop down.
Downstairs, Kaito faced his mother, Chikage with a serious face while hiding his balled fist in his pocket. He waited for her to talk and for ten seconds she did break the silence.
"Kaito, are you ready?" she asked with a faint smile but worrying and fear shone from her eyes.
"I am, I will and I should be, mom. We know too well each other's feelings about—" Chikage cut him off by chuckling.
"Of course! Of course! Please take care. I would be intact if you would need something"
Kaito nodded and walked out of the room.
That night, Kaito went to where he was supposed to be headed to. The feeling of déjà vu creeps to him as he enters the dark stadium. Sure, his mother was there to keep an eye on him and is on disguise but the business is down to him; as the second Kaitou Kid, most surely.
Yes, the intuition was right. This feeling was like something bad is going to happen and like he knows the atmosphere too much.
He did kept his calm, still hiding at his hiding place. Even if he's in a magic show in Las Vegas, he isn't watching or performing. He wore his costume not for stage performance fully, but partly for investigation; perhaps we could call it that.
And there were tricks left and right when another magician showed upstairs. He was the supposed star of the show since people get to see him for his magic trick and to see up close the big jewel he's going to use and show, Ania's Sapphire.
By people, yes different kinds of people, both good and bad.
While performing his trick, Kaito, or should I say, Kid, smirked and threw a smoke bomb as indication of his appearance. The oh-so daring magician did his usual modus of making them see that the jewel has been stolen before his appearance in front of the crowd with the sapphire in his possession. He put his left hand in his pocket as he stood there holding the sapphire, the magician from before tried to snatch the sapphire from him but Kid just swiftly slide from each and every direction to avoid his hand.
He quickly pulled his left hand from his pocket which revealed a white handkerchief from it as he pushed it to the other magician's face for him to inhale it and fall asleep. Gasps from the crowd were heard and some were attempting to catch to him but were frozen to their positions when Kid talked.
"Pardon me for such a disturbing act. I humbly apologize." He bowed. "Well then, I shall take my leave." He turned around followed by a black out which was his cue to run and go to the rooftop. That sapphire was the same target as that organization in black. He better get his hands on them before they do. He won't fly to another country if it weren't for his suspicion that the Ania's Sapphire holds the Pandora, only a suspicion though.
While running up the stairs, he could hear running footsteps behind him, he knew those were theirs. He sped up only to apprehend a gun shot. He was almost hit by it as it made a scratch on his coat. "Damn." He cussed under his breath. He kicked the door flying open and run to the back of the rooftop entrance.
Better die than have them live forever.
He lifted his arm and has the sapphire under the moonlight's glow when another gunshot was fired.
And this time, he was caught.
He got shot behind but to his arm only. Still, it was not enough to have him let go of the sapphire and bring it to their custody. He gripped on the jewel and run to the other side only to find himself cornered by more men. He went back and threw another smoke bomb to buy him time in climbing up the part above the entrance.
Unfortunately, his right foot slipped when a random bullet from a random gun fire hit his ankle and the sound on the squeak from his shoe to the metal was heard which ignited another shot from them. This time he was hit on his waist and made him fall to the ground.
His hand let go of the sapphire and have it roll to Snake's feet. Their eyes met and Kaito's horrified when he saw Snake pointing his gun to him. He tried to stand up only to have his shoulder be shot.
"Don't worry, Kaitou Kid, we won't kill you by guns. We would have you taste you death the second time around." Kaito was appalled by hearing this, so they were really the one behind the accident.
Kid was lying down there, his costume stained with his own blood. He shakily watched Snake put the jewel up to the sky to check if the Pandora was inside it.
And just when they all thought they were going to see the red jewel inside, Kid has his eyes widened and used his remaining strength to reach for his card gun beside him.
The red jewel was almost showing its figure, almost, when Kid shoot a card from his card gun and hit the jewel just to let it fall to the ground.
After the sound of the sapphire touching the ground, Kaito lost his consciousness and maybe more blood than he should be.
At the sight of the falling sapphire, Chikage, never minding the police line, she crossed it just to catch the jewel and when she did, she run her fastest somewhere.
"I'm so sorry, Kaito. I'm deeply sorry, Touichi." tears rolled from her eyes as she run with the Ania's Sapphire held to her chest.
Aoko accidentally dropped the plate she was supposed to be placing in the plates' rack. A bad feeling got to her and she felt Goosebumps on her skin. She tried shaking the idea off, for as she stared at the plate, memories of Kaito having dinner at her place flooded her mind.
She sighed as she cleaned up the mess and after finishing, she went to her room and attempted sleeping.
.
You and I walk a fragile line
I have known it all this time
But I never thought I'd live to see it break
.
Chikage slammed the sapphire with a hammer and smashed the Pandora along with it. While doing so, she asked Jii to check up on Kaito and bring him home without further notice from others.
Though it was against her will to have Kaito be picked up not by her, she had no choice for she might be caught there once she came back. Someone might have seen through her disguise or caught a glimpse of her face. She wouldn't be too careless to worsen a bad problem now.
While Jii was about to reach the stadium, his heart stopped for a bit when the moment he was about to step near the door, he and the other people standing there jumped because of a sudden blow, an explosion. Everyone had the same reaction of shock and fear. Murmurs of 'what happened?', cries of 'no!' and other weeps and wails filled the air while Jii just stood there, mouth agape. He could only whisper "Young master" to himself as he clenched his fist and forced his eyes closed to stop tears from falling. He could only repeatedly blame himself for letting Kaito, from the very start, go with his own will to find out about his father's death even if it endangers his life.
Jii could only blame himself and hope that his previous master above would ever forgive him for allowing such a cruel thing to happen.
Now, how could he tell his mother this? How could she handle the pain of losing two of the most important men of her life in the same incident and for the same reason?
… And in the same identity.
.
Oh, I'm holding my breath
Won't lose you again
Something's made your eyes go cold
.
The next morning,
Well, in Las Vegas, it would be the next night, and in Japan, it would be another morning.
Another morning, yet a way too different morning for all of them.
"And now for international news. We've got word from Las Vegas that the stadium by which magicians shall gather and perform took place, and where the Ania's Sapphire was displayed by one magician, got caught up in an explosion."
Aoko, after hearing the news, dropped the spoon she was holding but her hand was still on place; on the table but she could feel her hand shaking and her heart picking up its beat.
"… The magician who was said to use the sapphire in his trick and quite a number of casualties got caught up. 5 were dead, 9 were wounded and the recorded missing as per people who were still looking can sum up to 12."
"Aoko?" Her father noticed that her daughter wasn't moving so he looked at her and to where she was looking. When the news finally sank to his mind, he realized why Aoko would react that way.
They both know Kaito, Jii, and Chikage went to watch that show.
"Excuse me, dad." Aoko stormed out of the dining area to her room and quickly find her cell phone. She dialed Chikage's number as she fixed herself, she still needs to go to school despite her not wanting to go for she is too worried of Kaito.
"Hello?" Chikage manage to answer with a rather shaky voice.
"Chikage-san, are you okay?" Aoko asked, implying she noticed that something's wrong with Chikage's voice earlier.
"Ah, yes. Why'd you call Aoko?" She lied.
"Where's Kaito?" She straightforwardly inquired.
"Huh? Ah, sorry, Aoko. I think the line's messing with me. Bye." Her worrying gets her to the thought that Chikage avoided the question on purpose.
And it's not good when Aoko is in such condition, for example…
At school, Aoko felt like she was just dragging her feet to school as she feels so down even when she moves she feels depressed and her mind can't stop of thinking negative things. Keiko noticed this and decided to keep her company, but she seems to be spacing out to much and looking to her eyes disturbs her.
"Aoko, why won't you tell me what happened to you? Why do you look so down?" Keiko asked the moment they got to their seats.
She let out a very deep sigh as she pretended a smile and shook her head, without uttering a word.
"Aoko…" Keiko whispered then the teacher got in the classroom.
After class, Aoko was left in the classroom and fixed her things. After putting back her notebooks in her bag, she looked outside the window and to the dark sky.
Then to the empty seat beside her.
She gripped on the handle of her bag as her heart seems to stop and her breathing tightens.
"Please be okay, Kaito" she whispered looking down to the floor and letting her bangs cover her eyes when she noticed something dropped to the floor;
Her very own tear falling like slow raindrops on the floor just like on the window.
At the same time the lightning struck, a voice was heard from the door.
A man standing by the door, catching up to his breath with his hair so wet from the rain that it's still dripping down on the floor.
"Aoko" He called which caught the girl's attention and made her look to him;
Hakuba Saguru.
Aoko, in a thunderclap, got to Saguru's place and got a grip on his wet long-sleeved polo.
"Where's Kaito!? Do you know what happened to him? Tell me!" Aoko demanded as her grip on Saguru's sleeve tightened.
"Kaito is…" Saguru's face went more serious and worsened the atmosphere. He brushed Aoko's hand softly from his sleeve.
"Kaito is dead, Aoko." It was then his turn to look down and avoid Aoko's gaze. He never intended to run all this way under the rain just to make her feel worse than when she is just worrying.
.
Come on, come on, don't leave me like this
I thought I had you figured out
Something's gone terribly wrong
You're all I wanted
.
But hiding the fact won't make her at ease and this way, she wouldn't hold on to false hope and it may hurt now, a lot, but still, waiting for nothing at all will hurt most and longer.
And yet another lightning struck came out while Aoko was still shocked on Saguru's news, she's been thinking the thing over and over again yet when the truth was slapped across her face, it hurt a lot. Now that she knows there's no hope she can hold on to, her tears flowed more rapidly down her face than before. Her knees can't take its shaking that she broke down in tears to the ground never minding the person in front of her.
She doesn't know if she should be thankful he decided to not hide the truth from her or that she would be real mad for letting her be in such state.
How could she ever move on from losing a best friend? The one who'd been there ever since she got left at the clock tower and he accompanied her, the one who'd been there when her father cannot be beside her, the magician who made her past birthday real magical and a blast,
Her best friend whom she had loved since time immemorial and never got the chance to admit it.
"Why must I realize such thing when it's over? Why did I have to be too late? Why is this world so cruel?" Aoko continuously asked between sobs. Saguru could just stand there and can't do a thing but whisper,
"I'm sorry, Aoko"
.
Come on, come on, don't leave me like this
I thought I had you figured out
Can't breathe whenever you're gone
Can't turn back now, I'm haunted
.
And even if the rain would stop, Aoko's crying heart won't ever go in peace. She may meet more persons in the future, but never the same love twice.
One week passed and Aoko still kept silent in class, even when the teacher calls her, she can't even utter a word. Just by looking at her side was enough to bring her to tears. Her teachers never tried calling her to recite too, the news got to them and even if the fact wasn't yet proved, the rumor was still spread enough that so many believed it.
'Why am I still going to school when I can't even participate and not pay attention? It just hurts me more.' Aoko thought to herself while picking her shoes from the shoe locker and preparing to go home.
Before turning around to the door, she felt a tap on her shoulder and when she looked behind her,
A rose appeared.
"I'm sorry, again, Aoko" he said.
She knows that it was not magic, she know Kaito's magic. Saguru only flipped the rose and not made it look like it grew from his hand. He only acted as if he was offering a rose to Aoko.
.
He would try to take away my pain
And he just might make me smile
But the whole time I'm wishing he was you instead
.
"Thank you, don't be sorry" Aoko said in a soft, almost whispery voice, due to her not talking for a week.
"Hey, are you okay with this?"
"You know I'm not, but I should."
"For her sake?"
"For our sake."
A month has passed and Aoko's depression may have come off but is replaced by something. Ever since she's been haunted by her feelings of remorse and sadness, another feeling grew inside her that drove her to a decision,
The feeling of revenge, and her decision of bringing up the justice in Kaito's death.
.
Oh, I'm holding my breath
Won't see you again
Something keeps me holding on to nothing
.
That night, Aoko didn't sleep, she stayed awake to pack only a few things which fit in a backpack and is easy to carry.
She's put things that may come in handy when she went there.
Her state of reason's gone off for a while but still, she felt bad for leaving her father without saying goodbye so,
"Dad." She took a deep breath before knocking on the door. She stayed so close to his dad's bedroom door so when he stops her, she can run away fast. She won't let anyone stop her, not now.
"Aoko? What's with the bag? And why are you dressed?" the inspector looked at his daughter who was wearing all black; her hoodie, her shorts and knee high socks.
"I'm sorry, dad, this is for Kaito. I can't take the news he's dead, without proof. I won't believe it." She insisted with tears prompting to fall from her eyes. "Please, let me do this, dad."
"Why would I let my daughter go overseas and maybe let herself be in danger?" Ginzo tried to sound mad but his worrying and fear overcome the emotion he wanted to convey.
"I'm sorry, dad." Aoko apologized before running downstairs and outside as fast as she can. Ginzo know when she's this decided, he can't even stop her. And when she wants to prove something, she will at all costs, just like when she asked Kaito on a date just to prove his innocence.
.
I know, I know, I just know
You're not gone. You can't be gone. No.
.
After a few hours, Aoko's flight landed on Las Vegas and she started taking out her phone and looked on the map. She went to a nearby café to get off her jet lag somehow before going to the burnt stadium.
"No, I won't believe this. I know you're still alive, Kaito. You can't leave just yet." She gripped on her short's pocket, "Not… yet"
Behind her was a figure that was following her the moment she got off the plane and was secretly watching her from the shadows.
That night, she spent dinner on a not so expensive restaurant and decided to sit on the far corner by the window so she could notice that night lead to something.
And she did.
She was taking a sip from her juice when she saw Saguru running outside. Her eyes widened and slammed her glass of juice and ran her fastest to chase after Hakuba. She put on her hood and slid her hand in her pocket.
Saguru never realized he has let his guard down for Aoko has tracked him down and he not hiding was a very huge mistake.
"You ready?"
"Yeah. I should be."
Aoko, who was hiding behind, covered her mouth from screaming and decided to stop her feet from running towards them.
"Kaito?" she muttered to herself not minding her tears flowing again.
Aoko just waited for the right timings so she could sneak in and eavesdrop. As much as she wanted to slap him for making her— them worry, something different came to her mind.
What are they talking about?
It was midnight when Aoko saw the two running outside wearing all black too. She followed them and moments later, they went in to an abandoned building and Aoko din a great job in sneaking, since when did she become this type of girl? The power of determination I guess.
But Aoko was taken aback at the sight in front of her; so many men in black and they all look like bad guys. What are they doing here? She thought to herself
A loud laugh echoed around the room which startled everyone and when one of the men looked up he pointed and they all shouted, including Aoko.
"Kaitou Kid!"
Good thing Aoko's voice was not heard but Saguru did and so does Kaito. But he did his best to hide it in his poker face. This became way harder than it should be.
"You think I was dead, don't you? Well, I should make this clear to you guys, I am immortal." Kaitou Kid saying pointing his card gun at them.
"You think you would scare us with a toy?" Snake scoffed as he pointed his gun at him followed by the others.
"Then shoot me again." Kid challenged them, but as Snake pulled the trigger, the small light glowing at Kid go out which was his yet again his trick.
Kid ran through the darkness and used his night vision glasses prepared beforehand. He shoots his cards at each and every one of Snake's men before him. But the card right now was not just your ordinary card. With the help of Saguru, Jii, and the professor friend of Jii, they came up with cards that work the same as tranquilizing needles in Conan's watch. Difference is, Conan's was needles and Kid's was the tip of the cards.
Making sure Kid has put the organization in black to sleep. He took a deep breath and looked for Aoko. When Saguru finally caught his attention and noticed he was pointing to Aoko's direction, he nodded to Saguru and ran to Aoko, dragging her to the back of the building.
Aoko was shocked when she was suddenly dragged by someone in the darkness, afraid that it maybe someone from those scary men she saw before the black out.
But when she realized she was now out of the building, she gasped on the sight of the white cape flying sideward, blown by the cold breeze of that midnight.
She can't utter a word but it seems like her hate towards Kid disappeared for a while now. She looked at her wrist which was dragged by Kid and noticed that he wasn't letting go of it yet.
Slowly, the phantom thief looked around and met Aoko's eyes. He smiled, knelt, and kissed Aoko's hand before saying,
"I'm sorry, Aoko."
He felt her flinch but ignored it and stood up, he just hugged her and while his head was behind her, he sighed as he slowly removed his top hat from his head and dropped it on the ground. Aoko saw the hat on the ground so she insisted on looking behind her but his hand softly stopped her head from turning to him.
"Please promise me you won't get mad, Aoko. I know you've been through a lot, we all did." He whispered
Aoko just nodded and felt that he let go of her head and gently pushed her so they can meet face to face.
"Kaito…" Aoko said as she bit her lower lip to stop her from crying. She's grown tired of crying that she wants to stop it for now. She doesn't want to look so weak in front of him even though she knows she's been broken too bad.
"Would you listen to me?" Kaito asked, throwing his poker face aside.
"Sure."
The moment Kaito passed out, Saguru came, for he thought that when it came to him that there was an organization in black who was after big jewels like Kid, he thought of Spider.
But what he saw was none of the black organization but a phantom thief covered in blood. Due to curiosity also, he removed his top hat and confirmed that he was right all along,
That Kaitou Kid was Kaito.
He was about to turn him to the police but then, as his catchphrase would always say "why did you do that?" or something, he never did. Kaito was also a friend of him somehow so he carried him to his shoulders but almost dragged him to the stairs when he saw a time bomb at the staircase.
Two minutes left and the last second was the time they got out from the back door.
Saguru let Kaito rest at his place and as a detective; it came to him after the incident, that there was so much more behind Kaitou Kid stealing and returning gems.
There was something behind his statement, "this is not the gem I wanted."
And he wanted to know what it is. But if such organization was after his life, then as he investigates, he came to the decision of having him appear as dead.
After telling Aoko that Kaito is dead, he went back to Las Vegas to check on Kaito. He asked his nanny to take care of him while he went back to Japan and when he came back here, he noticed that the wounds were bandaged and that Kaito was now conscious.
He grabbed a chair and sat beside Kaito's bed.
"So, sorry to ask you so much even if you've just recovered, but we can't waste time." Saguru started.
Kaito turned to him and told him to continue.
"Why did you do that? Don't play with me. I was the one who saw you at the rooftop."
Kaito's eyes widened and sighed, putting his poker face on.
"Ever heard of Pandora?"
"What's with Pandora?"
"The red jewel inside of a big jewel that when you hold it up to the moonlight, it will show itself. And it has the power to grant humanity's wish; to be immortal."
Saguru nodded telling him to go on.
"I wouldn't want such powerful gem get to the hands of those bastards, so I take up on the role of Kaitou Kid with the mission of finding it ahead of them and destroying it in front of them."
"You mean to say you weren't really that bad?" Saguru said a glint of joking in his voice
"Well, yeah. Now you're giving me to the police, don't you?"
"No, good for you to clean up your name to me."
"Does that clean my name to you, Miss Aoko?" Kaito smirked to ease up the mood.
"Idiot." Aoko slapped him lightly then wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him to an embrace.
"Why would you guys tell me you're dead!? Don't you know how worried I am? Bakaito!" Aoko exclaimed shutting her eyes closed, no, they can't fall now.
Aoko pulled out from the embrace as she looked on the ground.
"Why'd you have me realize—"
She was cut off when they both heard police cars coming to their place.
"Guess we have to flee now, princess." Kaito wore his top hat and lifted Aoko bridal style. Aoko can't help herself but hug him by the neck so tightly, oh how she'd missed him so much. His scent made her close her eyes, not sleep, but just let herself float and feel his presence.
Saguru looked around and smiled when he saw to kids by the door crossing their arms and smirking.
"You owe us a lot, Hakuba-san" Conan stated tilting his head pointing to the police officers making their way inside the building to capture the organization in black.
"Yeah, thanks, Conan-kun." Saguru bowed and knelt to the kids' level.
"And thank you too, young lady" He said as he patted Haibara's head, Conan just looked at them and Haibara noticed this so when she turned to him and raised an eyebrow, Conan quickly turned to the other direction.
The next day, everyone except Chikage went back to Japan and everyone was so shocked to see Kaito alive, who spread the rumor anyway? When they were asked about what happened to Kaito, he would only answer, "I never died" and end it with a chuckle before dismissing the topic.
After class, Aoko and Kaito were on their usual routine, walking home side by side though Aoko is obviously different today.
Her smile stretched from ear to ear and it kinda creeps Kaito. He thought she would pull a prank on him so she's smiling that wide so when they got home (Aoko's home actually), Kaito asked her, "What's with the big smile?" as he look from Aoko who just came out of her room and changed clothes.
"Might as well not tell you, Bakaito. You're gonna tease me" Aoko stopped the grinning and rolled her eyes. She then sat beside Kaito on the sofa.
It was then Kaito's turn to smirk, he stared at her for a few seconds to make her realize that he's having an evil grin.
"What?" Aoko is still not dropping her eyebrow when in a split second, Kaito scooted closer and pushed her to the sofa, making her lie down and him on top of her.
Aoko's eyes were full of confusion and shock, while her cheeks had a faint shade of pink to red. Her head was as if he was cornered that when she looks at both sides, his arm would be bumping her face.
"Why are you smiling, Ahoko?" He's still wearing that smirk. He missed teasing this girl as much as he missed being with her. He did miss her easy to flush face and most especially, her.
"I— I just…" Aoko's eyes looked at different directions trying to avoid the sight of his smirk which got her heartbeat racing.
"Look at me Aoko." This caught the flustered girl's attention. "Once again, why are you smiling, milady?" she saw it; his smirk grew the moment he told the last word.
She gulped before finally answering his question, "I know I told you." She bit her lower lip and sighed, "I missed you, Kaito, a lot. And knowing you're alive makes be incredibly delighted and—" Kaito rolled his eyes before he cut her off with a sudden move;
He closed the distance between their faces and felt her lips brush against his. He closed his eyes for a bit then opened to look at her reaction. If only she know how that dumbfounded expression amused him. She felt him smile before he pulled out from the kiss.
"Yeah, yeah. So much talk you've got there, Ahoko. I love you too" He winked at her and helped her sit up straight on the sofa again.
"… Kaito" She said almost close to it being a whisper.
"Hm?"
She touched her lips and still couldn't believe that he just did that. It took her a minute before realizing that.
"Why you! Y-you stole m-my—"
"And so?" Kaito grinned playfully at her only to be hit by a pillow on the face.
"You thief!" Aoko continued hitting him with a pillow but she seems to enjoy it, which ended up to him getting another pillow and have his revenge.
"Oh, you know I'm a thief don't you?" He dodged her hit by him opposing her pillow with his own. "So are you going to bring me to your daddy?" he teased but when he's going to swing the pillow to hit her, he stopped halfway when he saw her place the pillow on her lap.
"No. You've told me the reason, right?" She then set her pillow aside, "Stupid." She stuck out her tongue at him before leaning to him and gave him a peck on the lips.
"You're not the only thief here, Kaitou Kid." Now it was her turn to wink and run to her room, she may look mischievous on what she's done but it made her all heated up that she needed to cool down before facing him again.
She sighed and walked to her drawer and pulled a necklace from it. The necklace she's been keeping ever since she was a child.
A necklace with a blue big jewel as its pendant; almost looks like the Ania's Sapphire.
"Pandora huh?" she murmured as she stared at the jewel and walked by the window to hold it up to the moonlight. She thought she saw a glint of red but she almost dropped the jewel when he heard Kaito talk.
"Aoko, is that…?"
"I don't know either."
Ceiral's rant: After a week (or so) it's finished! Longest one shot I've made yet www Sorry for any OOC or wrong grammars, I'm too lazy to proofread this fuuu~
Oh well, cliffhanger? I don't know. One shot is a one shot XD
See you next illusion ;)