Case Closed Fan Fiction ❯ Kore o kudasai ❯ Prologue ( Prologue )

Konnichiwa

And welcome to my first official fan-fiction. Please understand that I in no way own or hold rights to any of the characters used in this story. I am also a little worried about having my work torn apart by some of the veteran geniuses on the sight so please be kind

In addition please understand that I am dyslexic an am prone to misspell things quite frequently. I've done my best with the spell cheek, but if you catch a lot of inconsistencies feel free to contact me and let me know in a somewhat kind manner

Please enjoy and let me know what you think

Misk

…o0:Prologue:0o…

In the semi darkness of the warehouse facility a piercing scream cut through the otherwise perfect silence, a cry of fear, pain and despair the ended almost as quickly as it began. Shinichi Kodo froze in his tracks, feeling a dark chill of foreboding run down his spine and settle deep in his chest. “Ran?” gasped out spinning sharply on his heals. He listened intently but could hear only the empty hollow sound of his own voice returning to him from the unseen roof and metal beams above. “Ran!” he repeated, his voice echoing through the barren hall of wooden crates and packaging that seemed to continually close in on him, suffocating him in a sense of abandonment and claustrophobia.

Fear giving way to panic as he began sprinting though the deserted labyrinth. Footsteps, a panting breath, another scream that seemed to rip though his soul, then silence. Breaking out in a run, Shinichi bolted over crates and spun around corners. “Ran...Ran please…where are you…”

The light above him began to flicker as the sound a passing freight train rattled the crates around him. Panting he continued, stumbling into the walls of crates and support beams…an echoing laughter joined in the din, overpowering the sounds and rotting smells that bombarded his senses. He called out again, his own voice seemingly lost in the chaos. His sense of claustrophobia grew grater as lights became more uncontrollable. the laughter erupted into a series of voices, screaming, yelling, begging, and crying all of witch did little more then support the initial voice…covering his ears with his hands he pushed on his voice lacking the ability to reach even his own ears.

And in a heartbeat it was all over…the sound, the stench, the lights, all of it gone in the wake of the image that was now laid out before him.

There, in a pool of light and blood lay a frail and broken figure of a woman, her long brown hair draped almost whimsically over her face and shoulders. Her close were torn and stained, the rags heaving up and down in time with her uneven breath.

For a long moment he stood as if suspended in a timeless vacuum, his breath catching in his throat. After an eternity of numb disbelief he forced himself forward to her side. “R…Ran…” he croaked, his mouth dry as he kneel down by her side. Slowly, gently, he lifted the figure in his arms, cradling her head tenderly as he lightly brushed away the strands of hair stuck to her face with sweat and blood. “Ran” he repeated, forcing back tears as he watched her struggle for air. “No…no, no, no, god no…Ran, Ran stay with me now Ran…come on…” he pleaded, as her eyes began to flutter open and she stared up through eyes glazed with pain and fear. “Sh…Shinichi” she breathed, a small spittle of blood running down her left cheek. “Shinichi…you, you came back…”

“Shh…it's alright, I'm here, I'm right here” he managed forcing a smile. Her own smile faded slightly as one hand reached up to caress his tearstained cheek. “wh-why did you…did you leave…” she chokes out. He could say nothing, do nothing, but shake his head helplessly. “Why…why could you not…not”

“Ran, I'm sorry, I would give anything to…”

“…protect…”

“Oh god, Ran…please, I'm so sorry, Ran…Ran” he pleaded, but there was nothing left to be done. With an all too familiar shudder her head tipped back and her eyes became distant and unfocused.

For a long moment Shinichi simply sat, cradling Ran in his arms as hot tears ran down his face. And that was that, he had been too slow, too wrong, and now he was too late. Around him the world seemed to disappear, leaving him with only his pain and loss. Clutching her to him he buried his face in her hair and wept openly, his body shaking uncontrollably. He had fucked up; he had royally and unforgivably fucked up.

Outside he could hear the sound of voices and police sirens but his distraught mind registered nether. It wasn't until he heard the distinct sound of footsteps behind him that he finally allowed reality to come back to him. He turned his head slowly and looked up… to find himself staring down the barrel of a small handgun. “peek-a-boo” sneered a painfully familiar voice as a gloved hand held the weapon unwavering before his face. The man smiled, a cigarette clenched between his teeth, his eyes glistening behind a black hat and long strands of blond hair. “You had a good run kid” the man murmured, cigarette still clenched firmly in his mouth, “but the game ends here” and with a loud bang …

Little Conan Edogawa awoke with a start, sitting straight up in his small cot. For a long moment the small boy just sat there trying to get some kind of grip on reality once more. His heart was racing and he had broken out into a cold sweat that had soaked both his pajamas and the bed sheets. Hands continued to tremble as he brushed a lock of black hair out of his eyes. That dream, that same damn dream. Swinging his legs over the side of his small makeshift bed he glanced at the digital alarm clock that announced the current time in bright crimson numbers. 3:42 Am.

Biting his lip Conan sat forward and rested his head in his hands. The dream was not a new one, nor was the hunting theme that seemed to accompany it. But never could he remember it being nearly that vivid, that unbearably real. “Ran” he breathed the image of her lifeless body still burned freshly into his mind, her words ringing through his head. Getting to his feet the small boy glanced about the room, taking a few shaky steps towards the door. He knew the routine all to well; he would not be able to sleep anymore tonight, the best he could do was force his mind onto other things. Generally this included making his way down to the office and turn on some local news channel.

He had made it half way down the staircase when the sound of what could have easily been mistaken for a roaring bus engine reached his ears. Growling under his breath he sat on the steps with a humph. So the famous Kogoro Mouri had drunk himself into a stupor once more. That always made fore interesting breakfast conversation. For a moment the boy sat there contemplating whether or not he should continue with his escapade or abandon it as a surefire way to get on Mouri's bad side when he finally did come too. It's not that the sound of the television would wake the man; a bulldozer driving though the kitchen wouldn't be able to manage that feat. But for the past six months the older `detective' had tried everything in his power to find an excuse to rag on poor Conan. He had become the scapegoat for everything, and `wasting electricity' was decidedly the themed lecture for the month.

With a sigh Conan turned on his heals and made his way back up the stares. He would just have to find something to read; surly he couldn't waist anything that wasn't his by simply picking up a book. Reaching the top of the stares he turned to make his way back to his own room, and paused. He stared almost blankly at the third door of the hall that stood adjacent to his. “Ran” he breathed softly to himself, the image of her dream form and it's pleading eyes twisting a knot in his stomach. Impulsively, almost without realizing it the boy walked forward, slowly and quietly opening the door to the girls' room. Maybe it was his mature sense of over-protectiveness, or possibly it was his childlike fear of discovering his nightmares to be true, but in ether case he felt obligated to at least check in and watch over his Ran-nee-chan.

Ran lay peacefully on her bed, moonlight streaming in through the open window. To Conan the figure that lay there seemed to be not of this world. With the moonlight flooding over her face, shimmering off of her long soft hair he could almost believe that he was gazing upon some goddess. He stood for a long moment, caressing her figure with his eyes. She was beautiful and despite all of her outwards hostility towards him (at least in his true form), she was kindhearted and was prone to cry at the drop of a hat. He smiled at the thought, slightly ashamed that even the thought of her tears seemed more then perfection in itself.

Taking a deep breath he took another few steps forward right to the edge of the bed and gently, carefully, sat down on the mattress beside her. From this close he could easily watch her chest rise and fall in sleep, her lips parted slightly. He felt another wash of guilt flood over him as the image from his darkest fantasy briefly flickered though his mind. He blushed uncontrollably. After all, though his body may be small, his mind was…well, a little older to say the least. This was not the first time he had snuck in order to watch her sleep, nor would it be the last.

Slowly, impulsively he reached forward and placed one small hand on her pail cheek shivering at the rush of desire and pity flooded over him. “Ran” he whispered softly into the night. He felt almost guilty for touching her, particularly as she slept, as if by touching her he would destroy or distort her perfection and purity. After all he was only mortal. Caressing her face once more he looked down and smiled gently. And then from her lips a sound that sent his stomach straight into his feet; he herd her call his name, his true name.

He sat there frozen, quite sure that what he had herd was a mistake, wishful thinking on his part. The creature before him was an angel, an image of perfection. She gave him hope and purpose in a quest that at times seemed overwhelmingly pointless. She had done so much for him, and all he ever did was bring her pain and despair. And still, despite everything, she was waiting; waiting just for him. Carefully he ran his small fingers across her cheek once more pausing only for a moment before working up the courage to touch her soft crimson lips. “Hang in there Ran” he whispered memorizing every feature of her face in his mind. “Hang in there, and I will come back for you. I'll come back, and we can be together once again.” And with that he leaned over her and…heart pounding in his chest, and placed his lips lightly to hers, his own face turning bright red.

Just hang in there Ran, I wont let you down, and I wont let anything happen to you because…because , I love you…more then anything in this world.

The boy stood up, trembling slightly, not entirely sure he had just done what he did. He left the room quietly, closing the door behind him.

At the click of the door bright sapphire eyes flickered opened up in shock. Ran sat bolt upright in her bed, her eyes scanning the darkened room for…for what. Gently she placed her fingers to her lips. What was it; there was something, familiar, as if something or someone was here with her, watching over her. She shuttered, a vague scent seeming to linger in her room, something that was not exactly customary, but not all together unwelcome ether. She blushed slightly, touching her fingers to her lips once more, smiling a little as only one thought came to her mind. “Shinichi…”