A/N:Like always, I must say that I do not own either Higurashi or Detective Conan.
Chapter 3 Uncertain Future
"Well, what do you think of the whole event?" The girl who had just spoken said, setting down her glass of wine on the windowsill where she was sitting. Purple eyes gazed over at the other girl who was currently sitting on her bed. Her gaze was downcast, and she wasn't paying attention to her. She seemed more or less distracted. Like something was on her mind. She knew this all too well.
"Is there something on your mind, Hanyuu? If so, you can talk to me about it. After all, I have been the only one who can see you for years, so the two of us are partners in this fate." Rika said.
The girl, Furude Hanyuu, pushed a piece of her lavender hair out of her face and smiled softly. It was a weak smile, but over the years it had given Rika encouragement. "Don't get your hopes up, Rika. You know every world is doomed to failure."
"Hanyuu, with that pessimistic attitude, we'll never get anywhere. In the last world, everyone really tried their hardest." In the last arc, Keiichi and the others had overcome their hate for each other and decided to resolve their problems through ways other than violence. It had been a miracle for Rika and Hanyuu. However, their happy ending had come to an abrupt halt when the true villain, Miyo Takano had revealed herself and subsequently killed them all.
"Rika...I can't believe you forgot about that world. I did, too. I only remembered it because you brought up the Watanagashi festival today. I couldn't help but think of Takano, and then I remembered her betrayal of us." Hanyuu explained.
"I can't believe she was the true antagonist all along." Rika said, her violet eyes full of sadness. "She promised she'd take care of me, then she murdered me in every arc. It's a horrible feeling, Hanyuu. To have the one you care about most do something terrible in front of you. It totally shatters your trust in them and completely smashs your heart. It also destroys your feelings. I must have seen Takano murdering me so many times in those worlds that I must not have wanted to believe it. I must have suppressed my memories." Rika summed up.
Once again, Hanyuu was silent. Usually, Hanyuu would speak up about something that bothered her. However, she had this rather annoying habit of clamming up whenever she was concerned about something. Most of the time, she came to Rika about her problems. Today, however...she looked more like a wilted flower than anything else. She wasn't full of the vigor that she had possessed a few hours earlier.
"Hanyuu, how much time do we have left in this world?" Rika pressed.
"Hauu...I'm afraid it's less than last time. I believe this is the final world, since everyone could see me. However, there has been something unexpected in this world." Hanyuu said sadly.
"Yes. Those new transfer students. I never imagined something like this would happen. " Rika said. "Is this a gift that fate has given us, or will this turn out to be a double-edged sword in the end?"
Hanyuu stared at her for a few moments. "Who are they, and what are their true intentions, Rika? Even I, an immortal god, do not know that answer." She muttered. "However, that boy...Kuroba-san seems like a nice kid. He was really ticking off Keiichi by flirting with Mion earlier..." She giggled. "They both seem like very nice boys, and it's nice that Keiichi has more boys."
Rika grinned at the memory of the messy-haired teen who had messed around with the club leader, Sonozaki Mion, earlier in the day. She knew by now that Keiichi had feelings for Mion. Though usually he chose not to voice this. She laughed. "The look on his face was priceless. I think he is now Kuroba-san's rival."
"What if that causes them to hate each other?" Hanyuu wondered aloud, but Rika shook her head in amusement.
"I don't think so." Rika said.
"It's just that...I'm troubled about the quiet boy...Kudou Shiroichi, wasn't it..." Hanyuu trailed off.
"I believe it was Kudou Shinichi-san, Hanyuu." Rika corrected.
"Right, right. Anyway, it's him I'm worried about. He doesn't say anything at all in class. He's so quiet..." Hanyuu trailed off.
"Why don't we withhold our judgment for now."
"Are they really our keys for salvation?" Hanyuu mused. There was a thoughtful look on her face.
"I would like to believe so, Hanyuu. However, it's hard to believe that fate, who has been so cruel to us, would really bless us. I think it's more likely that this will turn out to be a double-edged sword, like I said before." Rika said. "What if they're spies for Takano?"
"I really doubt it. Both of them are enigmatic. Kuroba Kaito seems like a prankster. He does seem smart, though." Hanyuu said. "It's the other one...Kudou-san. He was so quiet...almost like he was so distant."
"He's probably dealing with his own problems, Hanyuu. All our friends were dealing with their own problems when they came here, and were quiet. Keiichi was, Rena was, and Satoko, too. Even me-however, there is something I noticed about him. He seems quite serious." Rika summed up.
"He's the perfect contrast to Kuroba-san, am I right?" Rika said.
Hanyuu nodded. "I noticed...the entire time class was going on, Kudou had the same bored expression on his face as you do, Rika."
"What do you mean? I mean, it's not as if he's gone through the same lecture every time-" Rika stopped her sentence right there, as if realizing something that had completely slipped her mind. "Come to think of it, he did have the exact air about him as I do! It's like he's seen this stuff over and over! Is it really possible that...?" Rika asked, feeling hope welling up in her chest. How she had longed for someone to talk to about how tiresome and repetitive it was to live the same life over and over, with no changes. It would be such a great feeling if she could ever meet someone like her. However, she highly doubted it was possible.
"I don't know for certain, Rika. Anything's possible. This could be our best chance at a good world, or it could all spiral into darkness. This is the last world, Rika. Let's put forth our best effort!" Hanyuu exclaimed, smiling confidently.
Rika and Hanyuu shook hands.
"Rika, Hanyuu, can I please get some sleep? I swear, you just woke me up with all your chatter..." One Hojo Satoko muttered, rubbing the sleep out of her crimson orbs and sitting up.
"Hau...We haven't seen each other for a while, so we were just talking to each other about what's been happening with us since we last met." Hanyuu lied. She had become pretty adept at lying, but this was the first time that Rika's friends could actually see her and hear her without panicking and overreacting due to the effects of their hatred.
"That's okay. I haven't seen my Nii-nii for a while...but I know he'll come back someday. Right, Rika?" Satoko asked sadly. There was a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Rika was silent. She hated seeing Satoko bring up the subject about her brother, who had disappeared a year earlier. Though to her, it felt like ages since she had seen Satoshi.
Due to the fact that Hanyuu's power was decreasing, her time in the worlds was gradually diminishing. In the last world, her time had only been for approximately two weeks. Now, she doubted the time would be longer. Probably shorter, she told herself. She started to doubt that there would be any hope. But now...there was hope. Small, perhaps, but it was there.
"Satoko...don't worry. I'm sure that Satoshi will come back soon...nipah!" She said, putting on her childish mask once more. Her friends were not used to her serious side, so she would put on a fake mask of childish innocence, which they usually fell for. She didn't want people to see her true nature.
Her friend grinned. "Thanks for being there for me, Rika. You've always been by my side...so, please don't disappear!" She cried.
Hanyuu and Rika exchanged worried glances before speaking up. "Whatever do you mean?" Hanyuu asked innocently.
"You know...you were talking about "fate" and other stuff. Are you going to run away, Rika? If so, then please don't! I need you...everyone needs you! You're not a worthless person in my eyes, or Rena-san's, or Mion-san's. Please don't hate yourself." She pleaded.
"I was just joking. Satoko, don't take what I said seriously." Rika said.
Satoko fell asleep shortly after that. Rika and Hanyuu turned in for the night as well, both of them wondering what direction this new world was going to go in. Would it turn out all right, or would things go bad as usual?
A certain teenage boy was unable to sleep. Ever since the Black Organization had been arrested, he'd been sleeping in his own house, but he still couldn't shake off the traces of paranoia that remained. After he had lived for two years as a child, his entire view of the world had been totally warped beyond recognition. He had been naive and arrogant, and had assumed he knew everything about the world. When he had become Conan, his world turned upside down.
He had become a shadow of his former self. Instead of being a playful, easygoing teenager, Shinichi was now twice as paranoid and distrustful as he had been before he was shrunk. He now saw the world in a shade of black and grey. Even the kindest person could eventually turn out to be a bad person. His life would never be the same, he knew. Kudou Shinichi had been forced into a bad and desperate situation, so he had adjusted to his second childhood, enduring the pain and lies that came with it.
He had grown up a lot. He thought maybe he had become too paranoid, too much like Haibara for his own good. But he remembered the last words Gin had spoken to Kaito and him. Both of them were in disguise, but he thought that Gin had seen through their disguises.
"I know you two brats didn't do this on your own. You had help." Gin hissed to a frightened Shiho, who was holding onto Ran's arm tightly. "Whoever those two people were...I will one day get revenge. You will regret having crossed my path." He grinned evilly.
Shinichi and Kaito both shivered. They had never been so scared before in their lives. Even though they had taken precautions in order to ensure that Gin would not find out their identities, he believed that they might have slipped up, somehow.
"When I find those two...I will be your worst nightmare." He said, a predatory smile on his face, revealing those shiny, white teeth of his, much like a wolf's...
"All the better to eat you with...my dear." Shinichi mused in his head as Gin was led away.
Kaito turned towards him. Even though he was disguised, Shinichi knew the thief well enough to tell that he, too, had been utterly shaken by what he had just seen. Kaito usually didn't get scared, but today was an exception.
End of flashback
He had told Ran about him being Conan, and her reaction was along the lines of what he'd expected: yelling, crying, and...hugging him? Yes, Ran had not beaten him up, much to his disbelief, and had embraced him while crying hysterically. Then she started to yell at him and Shinichi had only gotten to explain a little bit of the entire situation to her before she had officially thrown him out of her house.
He rubbed his head. That was typical of women. In Shinichi's life, he had had three different kinds of women around him. The first were the doting, idiotic type who would listen to you and worship you blindly. Ayumi was a great example.
The second were the snooty ones who figured they could own the world. Only Sonoko and Kaito's creepy friend, Koizumi fit that description, since both of them were so stuck-up. They always seemed to care only about themselves and no one else.
The last...could be the most infuriating of all. These kinds would only give you enough information, (or as little as possible, and piss you off). Worst of all, they would do it while smirking at you. Only one person fit that to a T. That was Haibara Ai. This kind could also go to any lengths to annoy you at all times of the day, no matter what you were doing.
He fell back asleep, but then he heard a knocking on his bedroom door. He ignored it, and continued sleeping, though inwardly he was praying that it was not Ran.
"Meitantei-san...time to wake up..."
No. It was not Ran. It was someone ten times worse. Why, of all people, must he annoy him the most?
"Go away..." He hissed.
"Shin-chan...Shiiiiiiiin-chan...wake up!" The very irritating voice continued on. Shinichi made a mental note to put a fish tank in his room, just to scare away the annoying pest.
"Go to hell." Shinichi hissed.
"How mean, Shin-chan! All I was trying to do was save you from the angry hellion Mouri-san! She's here to kill you! I'll barricade the door!" Kaito yelped.
"WHERE'S RAN? YOU HAVE TO HIDE ME RIGHT AWAY!" Shinichi exclaimed, jumping right off of his bed and landing right on top of a certain magician, who squealed in panic.
"You're suffocating me...meitantei-san!" Kaito exclaimed, then disappeared in a puff of smoke and reappeared near Shinichi, who glared at him upon realizing that a certain Amazonian schoolgirl was nowhere in sight.
"How dare you...pull something over like this on me." Shinichi huffed.
"It works, Shinichi." Kaito said, grinning evilly.
"Don't call me that. You make yourself sound creepy. And what the heck are you doing at my house anyway?" Shinichi asked, standing up and rubbing his head.
"Aren't friends supposed to know where their friends live?" Kaito teased.
"Well, if you equate friends with stalkers, Kuroba, I suppose the answer is yes." Shinichi snapped.
"I'm not a stalker! I'm only-"
"An annoying pain in the ass? Definitely." Shinichi replied.
"HEY! Don't insult me like that...Kudo. I only came here to wake you up! We're headed back to that village, right?"
Shinichi stared at him in curiosity before a strange smirk came on his face. "Yes. Yes, we are. Kuroba...is it just me or did you notice something odd about that place?"
The magician grinned momentarily before an unusually serious look passed onto his face. "Yes. It seemed like a lost relic from the past. Almost...like a jewel, right, Meitantei-san?" Kaito said jokingly.
"You...really obfuscate stupidity, huh?" Shinichi said.