Chapter 1: An Impossible Situation

I wish that the story didn't move so fast in the beginning- I rewrote the beginning several times, but it still goes by just a bit too quickly, so I apologize.

Update: I fixed some typos.

There was a stunned silence as Shinichi stared at his own face. This face's eyes were open wide, scared and unfocused. The stranger started to squirm around, quickly realizing he was tied up.

"Wh-who are—" Shinichi caught his tongue, remembering that right now, he was Edogawa Conan. He recomposed himself. "Sh-Shinichi… niichan…?" he asked, feigning ignorance to see how the impostor would respond. He froze in his struggle. He looked confused. Slowly, he shook his head. In his eyes, Shinichi saw that this stranger expected him to know who he was. "…Kid…?" Another head shake. Tears were forming. So… it was someone Shinichi should know… Who else did he know with his face? Or maybe, there was a mask and the person didn't know about it. He pinched the stranger's face. Not a mask. Finally, he remembered the duct tape on the man's mouth. As he reached for it, he realized that something about this man seemed very familiar, though he couldn't put his finger on it. Not the shocking appearance of his face, but in his movements and reactions.

He carefully pulled off the duct tape, trying to make it as painless as possible. The impostor winced, a natural reaction for anyone, so why did it feel so… off? "Who are you?" he asked. The man's eyes welled up with tears, and he struggled to get his voice out.

"C-Conan-kun!" he stuttered out, the tears now rolling down his face. Shinichi froze again. It was unthinkable, impossible. But the way his name was said… was how… Ran… would say it. He stared into the man's eyes. They were definitely his own eyes, but the presence behind them….

"R… Ran… neechan…?" A nod. Such a simple thing sent Shinichi reeling. He felt lightheaded and ill. "You don't… look like Ran-neechan," he finally stated, attempting to fish for information. A scared and confused look on his— her face, she turned around and caught a glimpse of her reflection in the gate, and promptly fainted.

Agasa finally made it to the door, and took a step out, yawning. "Oi, Shinichi! What's going on?" Shinichi swallowed a few times, trying to recompose himself.

"Hakase… I need some help," he finally croaked out.

"Shinichi, be reasonable," Agasa whispered. "Think about what you're saying!" They had moved the supposed Ran into Agasa's living room, and Shinichi had attempted to explain the situation.

"I know it sounds crazy, but look at me!" Shinichi hissed back. "Isn't what happened to me supposed to be impossible?" Agasa didn't have an answer. Ran stirred on the couch, and they turned to face her.

"Wh-what's going on…?" she croaked. As soon as she said this, her eyes got wide, and she clamped a hand over her mouth. That wasn't her voice at all! She hoped she woke up from a nightmare, but she was still in one, it seemed. She looked around and recognized Agasa's house. Remembering there should be a mirror nearby, she turned and froze completely upon officially seeing her reflection. Trembling, she glanced back at the speechless Shinichi and the skeptical professor. "What's going on…?" she repeated in a shaky whisper. "Th-this is a nightmare, right?" She didn't dare raise her voice: hearing it again would only confirm her fears.

"If it is, we're in the same one," murmured Shinichi. He turned to Agasa. "You can examine her, right?"

"Well, yeah, but—"

"Don't argue, just do it," Shinichi hissed. Agasa rarely saw the detective so completely bothered about something. Shinichi slowly ventured to the couch.

"You're… really Ran-neechan…?" The question was pointless, as the more he watched her movements, the more he realized he couldn't ignore the terrifying truth. Ran's gaze turned downward towards her hands. She clenched her fists and nodded, a few tears escaping down her face.

"You've been missing for two weeks!" he said. "Where were you?! Can… can you remember what happened?" Ran continued to stare at her hands.

"I-I… remember leaving the school… and… and…" She shook her head. "It's no good— I-I can't remember!"

Two weeks worth of memories… thought Shinichi incredulously. He glanced at the professor; he was gathering instruments together, making preparations. He turned his attention back to Ran. Her eyes were shut tight, as were her fists. Shinichi didn't think it was possible for his heart to sink lower than his toes— he was wrong.

Agasa came back with a small push-cart which carried a few familiar-looking instruments, like what you might find in a doctor's office. He stopped in front of Ran and hesitated, a skeptical expression still on his face. He cleared his throat, snapping Ran back to attention.

"Please hold out your arm— it doesn't matter which one," he said, taking a syringe in hand. She stiffly did as she was told, careful to keep her gaze averted. Shinichi numbly watched on for the next hour as Agasa pulled blood, hair, and saliva samples, and took pictures of her irises with a small modified camera resembling a penlight. By the time he had finished, his skepticism had begun to vanish, concern taking its place.

"How's it look, Hakase?" Shinichi asked. Agasa gripped the syringe in his hand.

"I-I don't know yet— I have to test these samples." Doubt was still in his mind, but the skepticism had melted away when he was taking the samples. He glanced at Ran for a moment before heading towards the lab, Haibara hot on his heels. Shinichi watched silently as the door closed behind them. Perhaps Haibara could help him find some clues. The little scientist had been keeping silent at the door of the room since Ran had arrived. Shinichi turned his attention back to the couch.

Ran was carefully studying the pattern on the rug, most likely to keep her thoughts preoccupied. He ventured back over. He was going to do it— he was going to tell her who he was: her safety was already compromised by this terrible incident. She was involved, though he was still uncertain exactly how. He stood for a moment to compose himself, trying to muster up the courage to say the words he'd so much wanted to say for so long. Just as he opened his mouth, Ran spoke up.

"Ne, Conan-kun?" she started. Shinichi looked up at her. Her eyes were red and tear swollen. She blearily looked down at him. "Don't… please don't tell Shinichi." She allowed a sad, hopeless smile. "I don't want him… to see me like this," she whispered, looking back down at her hands. "Please promise you won't tell him."

"… I promise…" Guilt stabbed Shinichi's heart like daggers as he said those words. He turned around so she couldn't see the tortured expression on his face. She raised her eyebrows.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, then added, "besides the obvious, I mean."

"Ah, no— it's… it's nothing," he said as he turned to smile at her. If only he'd been quicker. Perhaps it was best if he kept his mouth shut: she was already upset enough as it was. They all were, and the last thing they needed was more anxiety to torment them. He debated sitting on the couch next to her. Agasa would need some time to complete the tests, but being alone with her like this was already proving to be painful.

He went for it. She needed some sense of comfort right now, so he quietly sucked his breath in and climbed up on the couch next to her. He closed his eyes, and felt her warmth next to him. His warmth… the bitter thought crossed his mind, but he shoved it down. He focused on her presence rather than the physical form. That helped a little. She was alive. That was the most important thing, wasn't it? He ventured a glance at her face. Her eyes were shut tight again. She felt his eyes on her and turned her face away. He sighed, and moved to get off the couch.

"Don't go," she whispered. "I-I don't want to be by myself, just…please don't look at me. Just for a little while," she pleaded. Shinichi's expression softened as he sat back down next to her.

"All right," he assured her, and gently put his hand on top of hers. She squeezed her hand under his, but made no moves against the touch.

Agasa quietly closed his door. Worry and doubt was etched on his face as he turned to Haibara, who had kept silently out of sight since Ran's arrival.

"What do you think, Ai-kun?" he asked, nervously adjusting his glasses. "Is that Ran-kun? How could something like this possibly be real?" Haibara stared coolly up at the professor.

"How indeed," she muttered quietly before straightening up to look at him. "At any rate, we should finish the testing. I still have some of Kudo-kun's blood so we can compare." Agasa gave her an odd look.

"Shinichi's blood?" he asked. Haibara nodded.

"Of course! This isn't merely some case of forced cosmetic surgery— her voice has changed as well. We might as well compare the two. I've got a theory I want to test." With that, the little scientist turned on her heels, and got straight to work, a tentative professor right behind her.