Yup, long time no update. Didn't have time, and no encouragement either!  I think I will be finished soon. The story of Akemi is over, so the focus is on Shinichi, Ai, Shuichi, and Ran.

Tomb

Ai read the engravings on the tomb:

Miyano Akemi,

A girl who never lived,

Who never died.

We Will Meet Again

"You stole my sister's body?" Ai asked the tall man standing beside her.

"No, I took it away from the police. I'm a FBI member," replied Shuichi.

"How do you know my sister?"

"I guess your sister did not tell you about me. That isn't surprising. She wanted everything for you. Why would she ruin your innocence and tell you about me and her plans for you?" replied Shuichi.

"How do you know my real name and my identity? How do you know that Miyano Akemi is my sister? Who are you?" asked Ai.

"I'm your protector, the protector your sister sent. It began one day in the café, from a cup of pure, black coffee…

…Akemi lay on the ground, watching the shadow of Shuichi disappear. 'Now, I can die knowing that Shiho will be all right.' She took out the cat of yarn out of her pocket. 'I never got the chance to give it to Shiho. It was the only thing we have from our parents.' She threw the cat as far as she could to a little corner. 'At least I can save it from being dumped into the sea.' She closed her eyes and felt the blood slowly flowing out of her chest.

Suddenly a voice came out: "Akemi, Akemi: you failed again. How could you fall in love with a police?"

Without opening her eyes, Akemi replied, "So you know that I'm in love all along. Yes, I did fail. I couldn't kill him. You could do whatever you want with me, Gin."

"No, no. How could I kill such a sweet Akemi? The Boss still has plans for you."

"But I'm dying, Gin. What else could I do?" asked Akemi.

"You're not going to die if the Organization could help it," said Gin as he picked her up like luggage and took her away.

"Is Miyano Akemi to be used as a bait to bait Shuichi after Dr. Gin revives me?" asked Akemi in a bitter, trenchant tone.

"No, the doctors at the Organization will. We have a bank to rob. You will live to perform your duty for the Organization."

"That isn't my duty. My duty is to lead my own life."

"You don't have a life. Your life is the Organization's. Ever since your parents died, the Organization raised you up. You do what the Organization says."

"I refuse," replied Akemi, determined.

"You don't have choice. You refuse and I will leave you here to die."

"Then leave me here to die," replied Akemi, sharply.

"Would you want your sister to die," asked Gin.

Akemi shuddered. 'Yes, there's still my sister. But how could I continue to work for the Organization?

"I do my last duty, and you let me and my sister go."

"Deal," replied Gin.

"Everyone has a duty, Shiho."

"What is my duty, sister?"

"To be happy; to be happy in a world of light."

"And what is yours?"

"To help you complete yours."

Ai felt tears trickling down her face. Her sister died, not even for herself, but for her. She'd abandoned her life of love and hope to save a life of darkness.

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier? WHY?" yelled Ai.

"Because your sister wouldn't want me to. But I can't stand it anymore. I can't stand it that she gave her life for you, but you're here trying to run away, when you should be battling the Organization as she did!"

Shuichi felt all the years of suppression coming back to him. He remembered finding about Akemi's death, finding her body. He felt her hair, her face, and most of all what he loved, her eyes that were no longer open and never will be. But he didn't cry. He couldn't cry, for some reason. From then on, his face was always blank, devoid of any emotion. He hardly even talked.

Also from that day on, Shuichi has never lived. He has spent day after day at the coffee shop, drinking cup and cup of pure, black coffee, and eating nothing else, until Jodie finally convinced him with one line:

"I wondering what Akemi is thinking right now, seeing you like this."

That was the line that shook him, that gave him the power to battle and fight, and to live on, but only physically. And he suppressed the rage, love, hopelessness, everything he felt all inside him. And all these years of suppression burst, like a soda can that was shook too much. And he broke down.

"Conan, can you be there for my wedding?" Ran asked him on the phone. She felt jabbed by a knife. Before, Conan was always there when Shinichi wasn't, and abandoning Shinichi made her felt like abandoning Conan, forever.

But a cherry voice came back, "Of course I will, Ran-nee-chan." And they both just knew that cherriness was fake. They knew, without any reason.

Conan heard a man's voice—Araide—coming from the background. "Ran, hurry up! We shouldn't be late for our appointment with the wedding gown store."

"Okay!" shouted Ran, and she went back to the phone, "Conan, I have to go, okay? So I'll see you at the wedding?"

"Yup! Have fun! I know you will be the most beautiful person on earth in your wedding gown."

"I so will not! Okay, bye!"

"Bye." A click, and nothing.

Shinichi hanged on to the receiver and listened to the nothingness. This was what he wanted to hear. The Nothingness, like the product of the red string, the broken red string.