Shinichi & Kaito

Warnings: Character Deaths

ENJOY!

Once upon a time, there lived a carpenter and his wife, they had two kids [although the kids were adopted, but they didn't know that] who were roughly the same age. One was a month older than the other.

The first one was wandering near a burnt down house and other was found nearly drowned in the river. Kyogoku Makoto, the kids' adopted father had saved them both and taken them in. At first, his wife the former Suzuki now Kyogoku Sonoko had been weary and distant of the kids, but she had eventually warmed up to them and allowed them to stay.

Kudou Shinichi, the kid found near the burnt down house was the older of the two. Kuroba Kaito, the one found in the river was the younger of them by a month and a little more. They were both around two or three when they were found so they had no idea that they were not related to each other, Makoto and Sonoko never told them. Now, one day the town that they lived in was in a very bad famine, so one night Sonoko said to her husband, "Makoto, if we get rid of the kids then we'll have less mouths to feed. We can leave them in the woods for them to fend for themselves. If we don't, we'll all starve and die." Makoto seemed hesitant.

He had long thought of the twin-like duo as his own children.

Now neither of the two adults were aware that Kaito and Shinichi were still awake and listening in to their conversation.

A few moments later when the children had gone back to their room, Kaito turned to his brother with large violet indigo eyes looking very much like an adorable kicked puppy. "Shinichi~" he whispered. "I don't want to be left in the woods and get losted!" he cried softly in fear of being heard as tears rolled down his soft cheeks and tiny hands clung onto the other boy's shirt.

Shinichi hugged the younger boy to him, letting the boy bury his face into his shirt as he attempted to hush his brother and ran his small hand through the other's messy milk chocolate brown hair.

"We won't get lost in the woods," Shinichi murmured, "we'll find our way back, I promise." he took hold of Kaito's hand and lead him back to his bed tucking his brother in.

"I'll be right back okay? I just need to do something for tomorrow." Shinichi said giving Kaito a reassuring smile as he silently slid out of the room.

Unlatching the lock on the door, Shinichi slipped out and began his quest to find the shiniest pebbles he could find. When he had filled all the pockets in his coat full of shiny pebbles, he slid back inside and comforted Kaito until he fell asleep with Shinichi following soon after.

The next morning, Sonoko woke them up early and told them that she and Makoto were going to find some firewood. She told the two boys to wait in the woods until they came back for them.

As the group was walking, Makoto felt guilty about what he was about to do, he didn't want to leave his sons out in the woods to fend for themselves, they were only seven after all.

Then the two adults left Kaito and Shinichi waiting around a fire and told them to wait for them until they had finished collecting firewood, as then they will all go back together.

Before they left, Sonoko handed them each a loaf of bread and a canteen of water before following Makoto.

The two waited, and waited, and waited.

"Shinichi...I'm cold." Kaito murmured when night had fallen and the moon shone bright over them.

"Would you like to go home then Kaito?" Shinichi asked, turning his bright blue eyes to look at his near identical counterpart. Kaito nodded but whispered, "aren't we losted though? They left us here all alone."

He looked like he was about to cry again, and Shinichi pulled him into a tight hug softly whispering, "no, of course we're not, I scattered pebbles on the way here, if we followed the trail it'll lead us back home."

"Ready to go?" Shinichi asked after a few moments of waiting for Kaito to regain his composure. The indigo eyed boy nodded, and let his brother hold his hand as he led them back the way they came following the shiny trail of pebbles Shinichi had left behind when they were taken there earlier that morning.

When the boys knocked on the door, Sonoko opened it and shouted, "where were you two! We looked everywhere for the both of you don't ever scare us like that ever again!"

Kaito's pupil dilated again as his eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Scowling at their foster mother, Shinichi thought you liar, before Makoto came and let the two boys in rejoicing in the fact that they were alright and unharmed.

The guilt he was feeling the whole day after he left was eating at him. He really had grown fond of the two, rowdy as they may be at times.

"Come on, you two must be tired, let's get you to bed okay," he said as he led the two to their room.

Only when they were behind closed doors did Kaito let his tears fall silently down and Shinichi sat beside him holding him tight and letting his brother cry.

He wanted to cry himself as a matter of fact, he felt betrayed by the people he called his parents. They, during a time of crisis decided to save themselves and let their own kids die; or they were willing to at least. He didn't mind having to fend for himself, but he didn't want Kaito to ever have to deal with such a thing, he wanted Kaito happy and safe.

With that thought in mind, little Shinichi vowed from that day onwards that he will always protect his Kaito no matter how scary or difficult things may get.

When the sobbing boy in his arms had quieted down some, he once again tucked him into bed and laid next to him and they both drifted off to sleep, Shinichi with a protective arm wrapped around his little -by one month and a few weeks- brother.

A month later, and the village was facing another famine worse than the first. This time, the family has barely enough to eat for one meal, let alone two.

Once again, at night Sonoko told her husband, "Makoto, we need to leave the kids in the woods again. This time we have to make sure that we lead them further away so they won't be able to find their way back here."

Again, Makoto was hesitant, but since he had consented the first time, he had to consent the second time as well.

That night as well, the children heard their parents talking about leaving them to starve and die in the woods, and again Kaito cried onto his brother's shoulder.

When Shinichi tried to collect pebbles again that night, he found that the doors have been bolted shut and locked so he was unable to open them. He'd just have to improvise come tomorrow he decided and went back to bed after tucking Kaito in, assuring him that everything was going to be alright and they went to sleep.

The next morning, Sonoko once again woke them up early and together the family of four trudged into the woods. Before they had left the house, Sonoko had given them each a canteen of water and half a loaf of bread.

Shinichi crumbled his up and tossed it behind him leaving a trail in his wake. When they had walked for long hours, Sonoko told them that she and Makoto were going to collect some firewood and that the two boys were to wait for them until they came back.

So wait they did, and they waited until nightfall had befallen them again.

"Shinichi? It's getting cold" Kaito whimpered edging closer to his brother. Shinichi gave him a soft smile as the moonlight shone upon them and held Kaito close, trying to warm up the boy.

"Are we going to go home?" Kaito asked after a moment of silence.

"I think it's best that we should huh" Shinichi agreed and together they look for the trail of breadcrumbs, but to no avail.

"We aren't lost are we?!" Kaito cried, his eyes widening into large crystalline circles as tears threatened to spill from them.

"No! We're just...just...misplaced...yeah! We're just misplaced! Not lost at all!" Shinichi said with new determination as he took hold of Kaito's little hand in his and led them in a direction that looked familiar. At least, he was sure those bunch of trees looked familiar.

For three days, the kids did nothing but try to find their way back home and Shinichi stopping here and there to climb trees and plucking fruits off of them for Kaito to eat and rehydrate of the juice in the fruits. He made himself second priority as Kaito to him was the most important being to exist and he couldn't lose him.

One morning, when they were walking, Kaito sniffed the air and exclaimed excitedly, "Shinichi! Do you smell that? It's chocolate! I can smell chocolate! Come on this way! This way!" He rushed towards the heavenly scent as he dragged Shinichi along who stumbled and tripped after the overly excited wild haired boy.

"Kaito! Slow down will you!" Shinichi said as he ran to catch up to the hyperactive chocolate manic.

"Chocolate! Shinichi, chocolate!" came the reply as if it was obvious. Shinichi rolled his eyes and ambled along, until he smelled strawberry and hints of vanilla and began chasing the delicious heavenly smell just as Kaito was.

When the sweet smell became stronger, a towering gingerbread house loomed high in front of them. The path was made of chocolate with giant strawberries as the pillar on each side of the gate that was also made of chocolate. Vanilla frosting decorated the path, house, and gate, and Shinichi felt his mouth water. Kaito had already drifted off to LaLaLand and bounded over to the gate taking as large a bite as he could out of it.

Unable to resist any further, Shinichi walked over to the giant strawberries and pulled off a huge chunk to munch on it.

"Who is it that is eating my house!" A shrill voice rang out stopping both boys in their conquest of eating the delectable sweets.

Kaito gave a startled squeak as he backed away from the chocolate gate with the sweet treat smeared across his face and chin, making Shinichi wish he had a tissue to wipe it off but he probably wasn't any better as strawberry juice was most likely dripping from his chin.

"Umm…" Shinichi lick his lips to think of something to say while Kaito had ran to hide behind Shinichi's back.

"Why if it isn't little children." Crooned a beautiful young lady with long black hair and nearing red eyes.

"Are you two lost?" She asked sympathetically, "you must be hungry."

"Come on in and I'll give you something to eat." She said a saccharine lilt to her voice as she opened the gate for the children to enter. Shinichi hesitated, and Kaito clung to the back of his shirt.

"Come in, don't be shy. You both must be very hungry, why don't you come in for some food. I have all the pancakes, chocolate, strawberry, and ice cream you could ever have." She purred sweetly.

"You had me at chocolate, lady! Come on Shinichi!" Kaito jerked Shinichi towards the house and he had no choice but to follow his troublemaking other.

That night when they had eaten their fill, Shinichi sat up in bed and asked, "Kaito, don't you think that the lady is a little weird, she's kind of scary isn't she?"

"Yes, she is but she gave us food, we should sleep now Shinichi," Kaito mumbled as he buried his face into the soft pillow and soon he was asleep.

Now, the witch of the gingerbread house had been collecting little children who had wandered into her territory and offer them up for sacrifice. It was a good thing that the two had come by when they did, she hadn't had any new ones come for a while and thus couldn't do her monthly sacrifices.

Early next morning, she came to their room and dragged Shinichi out and locked him into a cage.

Kaito had cried and begged the witch to spare his brother, but she had just brushed him off and told him to fetch her a pail of water if he wanted to live.

Hesitating, until Shinichi told him to listen to the witch, Kaito did as he was told tears streaming down his soft pale cheeks the whole way. When he was sent to give Shinichi his dinner, he whimpered quietly, "I'm sorrwy Shinichi, it's my fault. I smelted the candy house first."

Shinichi just shook his head fondly at the frightened boy, "listen, Kaito, it's not your fault, I smelted the candy too, we're going to get out of here together okay, here eat this," he handed the chocolate cake to Kaito, "you haven't eaten all day have you." Kaito nodded numbly and ate the slice of chocolate cake because he really was famished even after all the sweets they had the day before.

Nearly a month had passed, as Akako, the witch, was trying to fatten them up, but due to a fight with a spirit cleanser, left her nearly blind so she couldn't see well and when she demanded Shinichi poke his finger out so she could check how plump he was, he always stuck out a small chicken bone, and it made the witch wonder how well the boy's metabolism was. Kaito on the other hand had been having nothing much but sugar, constantly so he was always hyper and gaining a bit here and there, although Shinichi didn't dare say anything about that. He'd leave the teasing for another time when they were not in mortal danger.

Growing impatient, the witch decided to sacrifice the kids anyways, and she sent for Kaito to check the boiling pot. Sensing that the witch was up to something, most likely to push him in, he turned to look at the witch his puppy eyes expression and said uncertainly, "umm...pretty witch lady...I don't know how to do that."

"You useless child!" Screeched the witch, "all there is to do is to bend over and look at the pot-"

She didn't noticed that Shinichi had pick the lock some time ago and had sneaked up on her. Shinichi along with Kaito, stuck out their foot and tripped the witch into the boiling pot of water when she had gotten close enough and then proceeded to pull the lid over the pot and they bolted it tight shut. The witch screamed in agony as the boiling water consumed her.

Grabbing Kaito's hand, Shinichi made a run out of the sacrifice room and out into the woods. The forbidding gingerbread house disappeared behind them as them as the witch drew her last breath.

Stopping to catch their breath, Shinichi poked Kaito's slightly chubby little cheeks as he grinned and said, "you gained a little weight here." and continued to prod the boy as Kaito squawked indignantly.

"Shinichi are you calling me fat? That's mean…" Kaito pouted as he stomped off leaving Shinichi holding in his laughter from behind.

"Of course not, Kaito wait!~" he called after the sulking boy.

About an hour later, and they reached a river, when Kaito saw it he immediately backed up and clung to Shinichi. He didn't like the river, it scares him for some reason he couldn't tell. Just the same as Shinichi who for some reason is afraid of large fires, they never knew.

"How are we going to get across?" Kaito asked looking at the water wearily as if it might jump out and attack him at any given moment.

"I...I'm not sure." Shinichi sighed, his brain working a mile a minute. There was only so much a seven year old could do.

As if the answers to their problems have been answered, a flash of light appeared and a dark skinned young man with emerald, turquoise eyes appeared in front of them with a beaming smile.

"Hey there!~ Ya kids need a lift ta da other side of this river?" He asked still beaming at them.

"Uh...yes actually...who are you?" Shinichi asked looking at the man warily.

"Hattori Heiji, river guardian. Man, I've been trapped fer nearly ten years or so, such a pain. That damn witch took everything and trapped us guardians away. Makin us see what we could have prevented if ya know…" he took a quick glance over to Kaito and sadness flickered through his eyes for only a moment before he smiled again.

"So ya kids want a lift across?" He pointed to his boat that had magically appeared and was now waiting by the bank for its owner. Nodding, the kids followed Heiji onto the boat, and when he got them across to the other side they thanked him.

"No...I should be thankin ya kids fer savin us. Ya defeated the evil witch and brought us all back." He smiled a genuine happy smile at the kids and waved them off before calling after them to come back and visit some time as there's lots of places to go along the river.

With that promised the two finally found their way home and when they knocked on the door, Makoto opened it and scooped the two into his arms and wept for joy. His kids, his sons, were back safe and sound. Sonoko, the boys learned hadn't made it through the famine and had passed away. They felt bad for Makoto, who was very much in love with her but they tried their best to make their foster father happy as possible.

"Kaito...did you get a little chubbier?" Makoto had asked once the boys had settled back in.

Kaito scoffed, "I am not fat!"

"Of course not, you just had too much sugar, if you lay off the cake, ice cream sugar and chocolate...I'm sure you'll lose that extra fat you gained, especially in your cheeks." Shinichi gave Kaito's cheek a pinch, making in slightly pink for emphasis.

Kaito just huffed in annoyance at the two teasing him as he stomped off to his and Shinichi's shared bedroom.

"He's not that mad at us...right?" Shinichi asked when Kaito was out of sight.

"He's your baby brother, you know best!" Makoto smirked at he lifted the blue eyed boy up and told him to help him with dinner as they no longer had to deal with a famine across the land ever again.

Omake:

Kaito sat on his bed with his arms crossed over his chest, sulking.

Then, he suddenly smelled something burning and intrigued he opened the door just a crack and was met with smoke wafting through the air.

Yells and shouts were heard and he saw Makoto rush to open all the doors and windows to let the smoke out.

"What happened?" He asked walking into the kitchen and saw Shinichi panicking over the flames on the kitchen stove.

Pulling the near hyperventilating blue eyed boy away from the fire, Kaito set about to douse the flames.

Rounding on Shinichi, he said, "you're a terrible cook!"

"Yes, and Kaito is my hero!" Shinichi exclaimed happily and he ran up to him and pulled him into a tight hug nuzzling his nose into Kaito's fluffy wild hair.

Still a bit salty from Shinichi's taunting earlier, he slightly nudged Shinichi away and set about to salvage the food that hadn't been burnt too badly.

Later on Shinichi was officially banned from cooking, (by Kaito) and was chosen to do the dishwashing for burning dinner.

A/N: I actually really love this story and I'm thinking of making a similar one with a slightly different plot. What do you all think?

Hakuba was the spirit cleanser for anyone who is curious by the way.

Also thank you so much for reading and I hope that you will review. (^-^)