A/N:I do not own either show.

Chapter 5: Internal Conflict

The Hinamizawa after-school club was as boisterous as it had ever been, but today the excitement seemed to have gone up several levels higher than usual. The reason why was because two new members had joined them: Kudou Shinichi and Kuroba Kaito. Both boys had proved to be extremely popular with the females of Hinamizawa's school. Including, but not limited to, Mion Sonozaki, Rena Ryuuguu (though usually she was more attracted to Hanyuu and Rika.)

The leader, Sonozaki Mion, was sitting at the front of the classroom. She had pulled some of the desks together in order to start the club. Rena was seated next to her, while Satoko was on her left. Beside Satoko was Rika, who was smiling innocently as always, and Hanyuu was next to her, averting her eyes from everyone, and then Kaito was beside her, trying to cheer her up by offering to show her various magic tricks that he could perform. Keiichi and Shinichi were at the very end of the table. Both were equally bored at the lack of action going on.

Keiichi had his hand on his cheek, and was trying hard not to fall asleep, when suddenly a hand whacked his desk...hard. He looked up in terror and realized Mion had noticed his dozing off. "U-Uh...hi Mion. What's up?"

Mion scowled at him for a few moments. "Kei-chan, were you even paying attention to a thing I said?" She said menacingly. You did not want to make the heir of the Sonozaki mad, because then you would have to deal with your worst foe ever. It was too bad that his compatriot beside him had no idea as to just how bad Mion Sonozaki could be.

"U-Um...maybe a little bit. Maybe I was, or maybe I wasn't...Kudou-san, can't you back me up...oi?" He whimpered, looking over at the older boy for help. His eyes widened upon seeing the aforementioned teenage boy was fast asleep on the desk. His blue eyes were tightly closed, and he seemed...to be dreaming, and he was talking in his sleep.

Keiichi was suddenly curious as to what he might be dreaming about. He said, "Mion, Kudou-san is talking in his sleep. Mightn't it be more fun if we learned what he was saying?"

A predatory smile made its way onto Mion's face. "Kei-chan...that's a superb idea! Let's do it!" She cried, and suddenly both of them were up near Shinichi and trying to hear what he was saying.

Meanwhile, Shinichi was caught in a flashback of the past...

The pain was excruciating. It felt like every one of his limbs was being pulled away from him slowly, painfully...his flesh was on fire as well. He could barely move, as he lay there...sweat coming off his body as he lay there, writhing in sheer pain. "R-Ran...don't come..."

She was coming closer, worry evident on her features. "Shinichi, you need to see a doctor!" She exclaimed, coming towards him. Shinichi had to get away, before she could see him turn back into Conan.

"N-No...don't." He moaned, and then he fell down the stairs. He hid in the bedroom, and then his heart started pounding harder and harder, until it felt like he was having a heart attack. "N-No...I don't want...to, not now...I have to tell her...my fee-!"

And then, just like that, he was Conan again.

He held the girl close as she sobbed into his shirt, apologizing over and over.

"Why? Why didn't you save Onee-san? If you could have...then she would still be alive..." The young girl whined, no longer seeming like a cold, frosty girl and seeming more like the child that she was physically.

Conan, no...Shinichi looked up at the ceiling, too ashamed to even gaze at her. Guilt rose up from within him. How could he have betrayed this girl's trust in him? He had let her sister die, and it was all his fault. If he hadn't been so curious and followed after those men that day, his life wouldn't have become this terrible, and Ran wouldn't be so unhappy, and wouldn't be bawling over him night after heart wrenching night, and this girl...would be happy. It was all his fault, all of it. "I'm sorry..." He mumbled, feeling utterly hopeless.

"I'm sorry doesn't cut it! Someone's dead! My oneesama! You could have helped her! You're a detective!" She bawled, and Haibara Ai was still hysterical...

"I'm sorry, Haibara. Truly, I am...I did my best to save her...but it was already too late."

"Shinichi, why did you lie to me? You were by my side all this time, you dumb detective! Why didn't you tell me, you jerk?" Ran snapped, tears falling from her face.

"R-Ran, don't get upset. I-I wanted to tell you, but it was too dangerous-"

Then, Shinichi felt someone shaking him. A gentle hand was on his shoulders, almost like Ran's...light and soothing. "I'm sorry..." It whispered.

Shinichi's brilliant blue eyes shot open, and he sat up in alarm. His eyes widened upon realizing that he was still in the Hinamizawa school. Beside him were Maebara-san and Sonozaki-san, both with confused expressions on their faces, and Furude Rika was beside them as well, with an oddly sad look on her face as she studied him.

"W-What?" Shinichi snapped coldly. He faltered as he noticed the bluenette staring at him intently. Oddly enough, her gaze was as mature and intimidating as Haibara's, even though she was just a child.

"We were worried. We heard you moaning in your sleep. You sounded like you were having nightmares." Mion said, her green eyes filled with concern.

"I wonder what they were about...can you tell us?" Rika said mysteriously.

Shinichi's eyes widened, then he turned away. "No...you wouldn't understand." He snapped.

Keiichi came over to him. "Hey, you can confide in us. We're not going to judge you for whatever you're hiding."

Kaito chirped in then. "I believe it's not quite time for him to reveal his darkest secrets just yet, because everyone has things they want to hide, right?" He said seriously, his eyes full of sadness.

"That's right." Rena replied. "We mustn't force our good intentions on Kudou-san just yet, because he's not ready to open up to us yet. We have to give him some time. But Rena understands what it's like to be all alone, with no one there to guide you...the coldness of the world around you...a world that doesn't care, and you feel like you're losing your mind in the loneliness... I wonder, is that what you've gone through, Kudou-san?" She deduced intelligently, her ice blue eyes staring at him.

He flinched. She could be a great detective. "...I suppose you could say that. Maybe just maybe, I've gone through hell, time and time again...with no hope of escaping..."

Rika's eyes widened considerably as she watched this boy. "Could he be...my key to escaping fate?" She whispered, so that only Hanyuu could hear.

"Hau...he certainly is interesting, isn't he?" She whispered.

"Cheer up, meitantei-san!" Kaito exclaimed, popping a flower in front of Shinichi's face. "Would Ran-san want to see you this upset?"

"Who's Ran-san, auuu?" Hanyuu inquired. Her purple eyes scoured over Shinichi's face as she studied him as well, much like a scientist does over an interesting specimen. "What are you hiding?"

Shinichi smiled plastically. "Well...let's forget that happened, shall we?"

Rena watched the detective with curious eyes. "You certainly are a good liar, I see." She whispered. Earlier, she saw that she and this boy were not that much different. He had been through hell, she could tell that from what she had heard in his sleep.

"No...I don't want to..." "I'm sorry..." What kind of skeletons in your closet are you hiding, I wonder?

Rena spoke up then. "What kind of secrets are you hiding?" She asked furtively.

"Mii...let's not pressure him." Rika said gently, smiling at Shinichi, which soothed him a little.

He shivered at the brown-haired girl. This place was becoming more and more creepy by the second. The only saving grace here was the fact that the girl Rika and the little girls were both very interesting to interact with. That was a great thing to him, since this place had literally bored him to death.

Are they all insane or something? Probably not. Who am I kidding? They all seem like nice kids.

"Hey, everyone, let's stop torturing Shinichi-san now. Let's get down to some games. I have some great magic tricks!" Kaito said, flashing Shinichi an encouraging smile that clearly said: I'm here for you, so don't get all emo.

"Don't call me Shinichi, you barou!" Shinichi snapped, hurling another soccer ball at him, which caused Kaito to laugh mischievously. Kaito dodged the impending object of doom, and ran away.

"This is certainly turning interesting!" Hojo Satoko chirped, and threw a shoe his way. Kaito grinned evilly and dodged, at least until a whole bunch of trout came flying out of it and covered him from head to toe.

"UWAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! FISHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He screamed in pure terror.

Shinichi couldn't help but grin at the way Kaito was screaming his head off at a bunch of harmless fish.

"I-I hate you, Shinichi! Why aren't you helping me?" Kaito screamed.