HI. Ok, sorry this took so long, but I just couldn't get into writing it. I do apologize. And I hope the second ending will come out sooner than the first. So please, Enjoy!
Friday evenings were usually the most joyous times for children. School was out, the weekend started, and a chance to hang out was presented. But Ran Mouri wasn't having fun, or hanging out with friends, or even smiling.
It was because today was the day. Last night Ran had called her Mom, Eri Kisaki, and told her about the phone call she had gotten from Shinichi. It had been a long night as she explained everything to her Mom. But it was her Mom who convinced her to have faith in Shinichi.
But it had been so easy for Ran to believe her. It was much easier than facing the fact that he may not come home. Ever. And now, her faith was even harder to keep than it was last night.
It was now 10:00 p.m. Ran was sitting in the chair her father normally occupied. He had gone on a case that morning in the mountains, and wouldn't be back until Sunday. He had been aware of Ran's worries, but he had brushed them off and told her that Kudo was probably playing a joke on her.
She was alternating between staring at the phone, and staring at the door. She wanted Shinichi to walk in the door. She wanted to at least here his voice on the phone. She wanted the door buzzer to sound, or the phone to ring.
On the outside, Ran looked to be calm, collected, and unworried. But her insides were in chaos. She had butterflies in her stomach, not to mention a horrible sinking feeling. And she hadn't eaten, so she was hungry.
Her heart was telling her that something was wrong, that her mother was wrong. That he was never coming back. Her eyes told her she was almost to the point of tears, she was so worried. And her mind would not stop working.
Is Shinichi alright? Will he call me, or come in person? Will he even contact me? Or will Dr. Agasa be the one to tell me he's never coming back. Why did he have to leave in the first place?
As much as I hate to say it, the odds aren't in Shinichi's favor. His horoscope had said taking risks was a bad idea today. But that's exactly what he's was doing. It's also Friday the thirteenth. The unluckiest day of the year.
You know, usually at this time, Conan would be right here to comfort me. He would tell me exactly what I needed to hear. That Shinichi cared, that he would come home, whatever it was about, he knew exactly what to say. But he's not here anymore. He's with his parents in America, where he belongs.
I wish, that both of them were here. I wish....
But she didn't finish her thought. Exhaustion had taken over, as well as worry and hunger pangs. She collapsed, asleep, in the chair. It was when she fell asleep that you could finally see the chaos that plagued her internally, show on the outside.
RING. RING. RING.
Ran woke up with a start. The first thing that registered in her mind was that the phone was ringing. Wait. It was ringing? It was ringing! Maybe it's Shinichi! Maybe she should pick up the phone.
She dived for the phone. She didn't bother with any greetings other than "Hello?"
"Ran-san." her heart plummeted to the floor. It was Dr. Agasa's voice.
"Hello, . What can I do for you?"
"It's about Shinichi. He's in the hospital and-" she stopped listening after that point. If he was in the hospital, he could survive. He had a chance.
"-to come down here. Ran-san? Are you there? Hello?"
"What hospital is it?" Ran asked. Her voice was calm. Scary calm.
"Beika General but-" she hung up before he could finish what he was saying. Ran grabbed her jacket, put on shoes, and raced out the door.
Ran ran right through the doors of Beika General Hospital thirty minutes later. It had taken to long to hail a taxi. She was panicked, scared, worried, and exhausted from running at light speed all the way there. Even though it was 8:00 am Saturday morning, the hospital lobby was nearly deserted.
Ran went up to the front desk and asked a startled nurse, "Excuse...me, what room....is Shinichi Kudo in?" she was panting from her long run there.
The nurse grabbed a clipboard, flipping through pages until she came to the right one. "Uh, um, west wing, floor five, room 514." the nurse replied, pointing to the left side of the hospital.
"Thanks!" Ran called over her shoulder as she ran to the elevator the nurse pointed to. She pressed the up button and waited, tapping her foot impatiently. When the elevator came up, she was inside before the doors could fully open and pushing the 5 button so hard it might break.
The doors closed and Ran was carried to the fifth floor, the only other passenger a frazzled looking old lady, who was staring at Ran in surprise.
But ran had no time to worry about that now, for the doors had just opened. She dashed down the hall, looking for room numbers as she went. But it was unnecessary, for she could tell which room was Shinichi's.
Outside two doors stood several people: Yukiko Kudo, her head buried into her husband Yuusaku's shoulder, his arms around her.
Heiji Hattori, just staring at the wall in between the two doors with a very grim expression, and bandages covering his bare arms.
Another teenager who could have been Shinichi's twin was just staring at the ceiling, but she couldn't tell his expression for there were to many bandages on his face, and his head in general.
Last was . His head was looking down, but he raised it when he heard her approach. His eyes were so sad, that Ran almost broke down there.
"Ah. Ran-san, you're here. I will not lie to you. It is very unlikely Shinichi will leave the hospital. Everyone else has already said goodbye, so take as long as you need." Ran gulped.
It was easy to see that in the nicest way possible, was saying thhat Shinichi was dying. Tears threatened to fall down Ran's face as she nodded. She walked to the door and looked in. Shinichi was lying in a hospital bed, looking pale. His eyes were closed. He had all sorts of machines plugged into him, and bandages covered the areas without needles.
She took a deep breath and opened the door. Upon hearing the door open, Shinichi opened his eyes a crack and looked at her. He smiled, even now making Ran's heart beat faster. They didn't speak as Ran walked over to the chair by his bed and sat down.
A minute passed by in silence, the only noise being the beeping of the monitors. Finally Shinichi broke the silence. "Hey Ran. Sorry about this."
Ran gave a half hearted smile. "You'd better be sorry. After all you put me through, Shinichi Kudo..."
He smiled sadly. "I am, more then you could ever know, Ran. But don't worry. When I'm out of here, you can punish me as you see fit."
Both he and Ran that this was an empty promise. They knew he wouldn't make it out of there alive. But Shinichi was an optimist. That and he didn't want Ran to cry. But Ran had other ideas.
"Shinichi, we both know the real situation. You don't need to pretend."
Shinichi let out a sigh. He had forgotten. When something is urgent, Ran doesn't back down from the hard facts. "I know, Ran. I know. I just don't want to see you sad."
"I know, Shinichi. But I'm not a little girl. I can face the facts. Speaking of facts, what the hell was with that phone call you gave me the other night?"
Ran looked him directly in the eye. There was a deep sadness."I wanted to say goodbye, just in case. Everything I said was true."
A few tears streamed down her face. They weren't tears of happiness, or ones of shock. They were just...tears. "Even when you said you loved me?"
"Especially that. I've loved you for so long, and in these past years, it has only grown." He reached for her hand. Ran shivered internally when she felt the coldness of his hand on her own. He really is...dying.
But putting that aside, she said what had been on her heart for a long time. "I love you, too, Shinichi. I always have and I always will." The tears came harder. And this time they were happy tears.
The two lovebirds stared into each other's eyes for a few moments. They were happy, oddly enough. One of the pair was dying physically, and the other's heart would die when he did. But they were happy.
Unfortunately, all good things must end.
The beeping of one of the monitors changed. It started to slow down, just the tiniest bit. It was noticeable, though. It was the heart monitor. His heart was slowing down.
They both let out a small gasp as it slowed just a little more. He didn't have much longer. "Okay, Ran. Listen carefully to what I have to say," slower beeping, "I have a favor to ask. There is a little girl in the next room," slower, "she got mixed up in this on accident. You know her, which is why I'm asking you to take care of Haibara-san."
Despite the urgency, Ran let out a small gasp. "Ai-chan? Ai-chan got hurt? But why does she need to be taken care of?"
The monitor slowed again. His breathing was heavy now.
He continued on. "She got hit on her head. She can't remember anything. Who she is or what she's done, she can't remember any of it. I want you to take care of her like you did Conan. Become her big sister, even if she remembers," slower, "who she is. I'm not asking you to replace her other sister, just become her second one."
His breathing was heavier now. He was almost panting.
"Ask or Heiji about the whole story. They'll tell you everything." slower now, "When my will is read, pay close attention. There is something very important for you, as well as some minor possessions as well."
Ran didn't think the monitor beeping could go any slower, but it did. He had mere minutes.
"Always remember" panting, "that I love you more than anyone in the world."
His eyes were starting to close now, and he was barely breathing. Ran's face was covered in tears. She was almost sobbing. "Oh Shinichi...please don't leave me. I love you so much, please don't....please...." now she was sobbing.
Shinichi took the hand that was entwined with Ran's and pulled it free. He lifted it up to her face, caressing her cheek.
He gave her a loving look as he said, "I'll....never....leave you....again. I ....promise."
His eyes closed completely. His hand fell from her face onto the bed. The monitor flat-lined.
Shinichi Kudo was dead.
Doctors and nurses rushed in, paying no mind to Ran as she sat in the chair by his bed, sobbing. Nor did they care when she stood up and left the room and went into the hall. She passed by Mr. and Mrs. Kudo, both crying while looking at the door their son resided in.
Heiji Hattori had silent tears as he to watched the door. And the third person, Shinichi's twin, had tears on what was visible of his face as well. But she did not join them in mourning outside his room.
She walked to a payphone, inserted some coins, and dialed a familiar number. The phone was answered on the second ring. Before they could say anything, Ran spoke.
"Mom, you were wrong."
Hi. I hope you somewhat enjoyed the sad ending. And please, don't ask me what exactly happened to Heiji and Ai, as well as Kaito. I'll leave it up to you. But, following this short notice will be I guess, an epilogue. Just to say what happened.
After Ran had made her phone call to her mother, she wasted no time in getting an explanation. Heiji was the one who told her that Shinichi and Conan were the same person. He told her why. He told her about who Ai Haibara really was.
Ran's first question was wether his life, and Haibara's memory, were worth the price to bring down the Black Organization. But not even he could answer that.
His funeral was four days later. Both of them, Conan and Shinichi's. The world would never know that they were the same person. It would just be two people who died young. Haibara, Ran, Heiji, Kazuha, , Mr. and Mrs. Kudo, the entire police force, and many others.
Ten days after that, Shinichi's will was read. Haibara was left some of Shinichi's blood samples(in case she remembered and wanted to experiment), Heiji got what was supposed to be a we-did-it present: a new motorcycle, and Ran received a ring, a letter, and many smaller items.
The letter explained that Shinichi had planned to propose to Ran, hence the ring. She cried hard when she read the letter.
In the first year that Haibara lived with Ran, things were awkward, to say the least. Ran knew who she really was, but Haibara didn't. But Ran obeyed Shinichi's last request. She became Ran-neechan once again.
One year after she took up the role of 'neechan' once again, Haibara was in an accident. Nothing serious, but they did discover that it most likely permanent amnesia that afflicted Haibara. She would never remember anything of her past life.
And so, Ran would tell Haibara stories about Shiho-neechan, Shinichi-niisan, Conan-kun, and what little was known about her Akemi-neechan. Haibara loved listening to those stories. She may never remember her older siblings, or the brother her age who died young, but she was glad to know the stories.
Ran, Haibara, and the others all got together once a year to remember the deaths of Shiho Miyano, Shinichi Kudo, and for Haibara and the Shounen Tantei(?), Conan Edogawa.
Haibara, Genta, Ayumi, and Mitsuhiko remained friends for a very long time after they graduated. In fact, by the time Haibara and the others were 14, she and Mitsuhiko were a couple.
Everyone that had ever known Shinichi Kudo led a long and good life. Inspector Mugure retired from the police force at the age of 68, still helping the police force when they really needed it.
Kogoro Mouri reunited with his estranged wife, Eri Kisaki, a few years after taking in Haibara. Kogoro was able to keep a steady stream of clients on his own, and Eri still tried to cook, failing miserably.
Kaito Kuroba married his childhood friend, Aoko Nakamori, when they were 23. They had two children, Conan and Arisu Kuroba. They still visited the Mouri and Hattori family, as well as the Kudo family.
Heiji Hattori took Kazuha Tomoya as his wife when they were 24. They had four children: Hana, Sayuri, Ryuu, and Shizen Hattori. Heiji opened up his own detective agency, and Kazuha became a teacher. A high school teacher, to be specific. They were happy, and remained close friends with Ran and the others.
Ayumi and Genta went their separate ways, having one child each. Genta ended up becoming a fitness instructor, while Ayumi was a costume designer for movies.
Haibara and Mitsuhiko held their wedding when they were 23. They had four children: Shinichi, Shiho, Akemi, and Akio. Ai went on to become a therapist, while Mitsuhiko became an archeologist.
Ran Mouri never married, nor did she have any children. She became a teacher at Teitan Elementary School, and taught Ai and Mitsuhiko's children. Despite the love of her life never getting a chance to propose, she still wore the ring Shinichi had intended to give her. She never forgot him.
"Ran-neechan, please don't leave us." Ai whispered to a woman lying in a bed. They were in a hospital room, in Beika General Hospital. Ai Haibara was kneeling by the bed of Ran Mouri, who was now 67 years old. She was dying of cancer, and chose to spend her last moments with her 'little sister.'
"Ai-chan, all things must die eventually, even me."
Ai took Ran's hand. "But we'll miss you so much. Why now? Why can't you stay with us?"
"I'll miss you too. All of you. But I can't stay because I don't want to. There is someone who is waiting for me. They've been waiting a very long time, and I don't want to keep him waiting any longer." Ran squeezed Ai's hand.
Tears were flowing from Ai's eyes. "'Him'? Who do you mean? Who could be more important than us?" Ai asked.
"Never more important, Ai. Never more important than my little sister and her family. Do you remember the stories I told you when you were younger? I told you about Shinichi-niisan. He was the love of my life, the only one for me. He died when you were ten years old. I need-no, want-to join him."
Ai's grip on Ran's hand lessened. "I understand. If Mitsuhiko were to have died before I did, I would want the same thing."
"Thank you, Ai, for understanding." Ran gave a weak smile. But it quickly disappeared. Her eyes took on a glazed look. "Shinichi? Have you come for me? I've missed you." she whispered.
"Ran? Ran!? No, don't leave! Please...no..." Ai cried.
Ran lifted the hand that wasn't clutched in Ai's hand towards the ceiling. "It's time to come home? Alright. Help me up, Shinichi...thank you..." Her hand fell onto the bed, her other hand went cold and clammy, her eyes closed, and the monitor flat-lined.
Ai put her head in her hands and sobbed. She cried for her sister, for the siblings she never knew. She cried for the girl who was the closest thing to a mother that she ever had.