Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Here's the first chapter! Finally focusing on the ghosts! Yay!

Shinichi didn't know what happened, or where he was. After he'd woken up, he'd spotted Kaito, Heiji, and Saguru sitting with his parents around the table. He hadn't remembered them, or anyone, coming over, so he thought he had to still be dreaming – though why they'd suddenly appeared in his dream was still a mystery – especially with the small black cloud that was beginning to form around the magician.

As far as Shinichi knew, there was no reason for Kaito to be in danger. His sleep muddled mind had chalked it up to him dreaming still and being worried something might happen to his friend. As it should have been his dream, he'd thought he could get rid of the cloud by waving it off, but the second his hand had hit it, everything had gone dark.

The blue eyed teen had never touched any of the black clouds he saw, let alone touched them barehanded like he had. Even the one around himself forever remained just out of his reach. "Kudo Shinichi." The voice was a whisper that came from all around him, yet right next to his ear. It was both old and young, as though a multitude of voices were speaking as one.

Shivers ran up his spine as he spun around, and the hairs on the back of his neck rose. "Who's there?" While he was sure his lips moved, Shinichi couldn't hear his own voice. "What is this place?!" Even yelling had no effect. 'What's going on?'

"You are in the embrace of death, hovering over the edge of life." Shinichi swallowed, shivering as he wrapped his arms around himself. How had he gotten here? More importantly, how did he get home? "You want to go back, yet not long ago you were begging death for an escape. You wanted to forget. You wanted to leave. You were longing for deaths embrace, and now that you are here you want to leave?"

Shinichi didn't know how to answer when he couldn't speak. He knew better than anyone how much he'd wanted to die. He'd been hurt. He'd been scared. He'd just wanted everything to end. But then his friends had come. They'd broken past the defenses he'd set up to keep them out. They'd dragged him kicking and screaming back into reality. And when he'd fallen back into his fortress, and rebuilt his defenses, they'd come barreling back in. Only this time they made their own defenses against the monsters of his past that he could never get to leave.

They'd found his weak point, and instead of exploiting it or turning and running, they'd held out their hands and offered more protection. How could he leave them now after all they'd done for him? When all he'd tried to do was push them away? How could he let go, when his friends were holding on as right as they could?

"Why should you go back when you've turned your back on your destiny time and again, and shunned the powers gifted to you?" The voice slowly grew louder as it spoke, but Shinichi cut in before it could continue, not caring that he couldn't speak. This was the one who gave him his curse. This was the one who made his life hell. This was the one who ruined his life. And now that he was here, he could make them take it back.

"I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS! I NEVER WANTED THIS! You say I was gifted, but all I see is a curse! I don't want to see death everywhere I turn! I don't want to have to worry about being possessed every moment I step out my house! I don't want to have to see all the pain, and suffering, and regret! I don't want to be able to see when people are going to die! I'm tired of having to hide the truth from those I care about! I don't want this curse you gave me!"

His throat was raw and he was panting by the time his silent rant was through. For a while, he thought the voice was gone and he'd been left there. He clamped his hands over his ears when the voice spoke again, much louder than before.

"You know not of what you speak! From your first breath you had been touched by death! Destiny had you on a path filled with murder and crime! You were fated to become one of the greatest detectives in Japan! You were meant to help thousands! What you see as a curse was gifted to you to help not only the living but those who were chained to the mortal world! You were meant to act as a beacon to the spirits unable to cross over! To guide them and help them find their peace with that world! Yet you have continued to run from your destiny! You have continued to ignore those who you were meant to help! Why should we allow you to return once more, instead of leaving at this edge until your body dies as you have left so many before?"

Shinichi's mind went blank at the thought of spending years trapped in the black void. Not being able to see, or speak, or smell, or feel, or hear. Having all his senses cut off. Fear gripped him tighter the more he thought about it. How long had he been there anyway? A minute? An hour? A day? A week? A month? A year? He had no way of knowing. His heartrate sped up and he sank to his knees. Would he really be left there? Trapped between life and death?

"No. Please." He was sure he was crying, but he couldn't feel any tears. "I'm sorry. I'll try to help. I'll do better. Please. Don't leave me here. I want to go back. I want to go home. Please."

It felt like an eternity before a soft light that seemed as bright as the sun appeared in front of him, illuminating a small, empty room. "You have avoided your destiny long enough Kudo Shinichi." The blue eyed teen reveled in being able to see again, and ran his hands along the floor beneath him. His throat was constricted, and reaching up he could feel the tears trailing down his cheeks. He still couldn't see where the voice was coming from, but it was softer now. He swallowed and nodded. "If you truly wish to help, you need to learn to control the gifts bestowed to you."

"H-How do I do that?" His voice was barely a whisper, and cracked near the middle.

"We will send someone to you. Death will not be as kind, even to its favorite vessel, should you continue to run." With that threat looming over him, and before he could ask anything else, Shinichi felt the floor disappear from under him. Flailing as he fell, the blue eyed teen squeezed his eyes shut.

What's going to happen next? I sure as hell don't know. Let me know what you thought!

Chapter Text

Hopefully the first chapter answered why/how Shinichi got his powers. Onto the second chapter!

Kaito was terrified. They had called for an ambulance after Shinichi had collapsed, but no matter how many tests the doctors ran, nobody could figure out what had happened or what had caused it. After reviewing his medical history, they even tested for signs it might have been another suicide attempt only to come up with nothing. They were saying he was in a comatose state, but the magician couldn't figure out why. Akako had sworn to him that there wouldn't be any side effects.

It had been a week now since the blue eyed teen had been admitted, and Kaito had refused to leave his side. If it had been because of the spell Akako had given him, then he was the reason this had happened. If anything happened to his friend, the magician was going to make the witch pay.

Folding his hands together, the indigo eyed teen pressed them against his forehead. "Lady luck has always shined on me and my family," He said softly, voice trembling slightly, "But now Shinichi needs that luck more than I do. Please, let him be alright. He hasn't had a chance to truly live yet, and it isn't fair for this to happen on top of everything else he's been through. Please lady luck, just this once, show Shinichi the same favor you've always shown me."

He stayed in that position, silently pleading for his friend to be alright, even as the door opened and the Kudo couple returned from their talk with the doctor. "Kai-chan," Yukiko whispered. He knew she was crying from the sound of her voice. She hadn't stopped since her son had been admitted. Kaito couldn't blame her. With all the wires and tubes attached to the blue eyed teen, Shinichi looked nearly dead. He could only imagine how many other times she and her husband had had to go through something similar.

Yuusaku squeezed his shoulder as he sat down. They both had given up trying to get him to leave even for a little bit. Saguru had stayed for the first day before heading back for class, promising to collect Kaito's assignments and explain to the teachers what was going on. Heiji had left as well, having to travel back to Osaka, but he called every night for an update on Shinichi's condition. When Ran had found out, she had rushed over to the hospital in tears, Sonoko beside her. It was only after threatening to practice her new karate moves on the magician for updates that she finally agreed to leave.

Folding his arms over the edge of the bed, Kaito laid his head on top as his eyes drooped shut. 'Please be okay Shinichi. Please, wake up soon. Please.'

Kaito flailed as he was knocked from his chair, hissing slightly in pain as he hit the ground. Looking up, the magician found the Kudo couple both standing anxiously by the bed. All thoughts of pain gone, he jumped up and peered around the two. Shinichi's eyes were open just barely, and his hand was twitching slightly. It was more movement than they'd seen since he'd collapsed, and brought tears to the magician's eyes.

Running the back of his hand under his eyes to try and dry the tears, he smiled widely. "Good morning Shin-chan."

Yukiko bent down and kissed her son's forehead, smiling through the tears. As much as Kaito wanted to stay and see if his friend would wake up fully, Yuusaku's hand on his shoulder and tilt of his head towards the door had him reluctantly following the writer into the hallway. "Let Yukiko have some time with him," The elder man said softly. "I'll go inform the doctor. You should let everyone else know he's okay."

The magician knew it was for the best, even if he wasn't happy about it. Making his way towards an out of the way bench, Kaito pulled out his phone and sent a quick group message to everyone rather than individually texting them the same thing. Ran was the first to respond, saying she and Sonoko would be over once school let out and to text her if anything happened before she got there. Saguru and Heiji responded around the same time, each saying they'd drop by as soon as they could. His parents thanked him for letting them know and said they'd be by in a day or two after everyone else.

Setting his phone to silent, the magician watched the door as Yuusaku reentered the room with the doctor behind him. Sighing, he resigned himself to wait before going back in. He didn't want to get in the way. Kaito absentmindedly pulled out a deck of cards he always kept on him and began shuffling it in every way he knew. He needed to keep his hands busy while he waited.

Shinichi had woken up – slightly – which meant he should be alright. But Kaito had held him from the time he collapsed until the paramedics pulled the unconscious teen from his arms, and the blue eyed teen's heart had stopped a few moments before the ambulance arrived. It had terrified the magician more than anything else – even his fathers near death – because his friend had been dead. For the first day, the doctors hadn't been sure he'd make it.

Kaito didn't deal with death. That was Heiji's and Saguru's area of expertise. The magician was just that – a magician. He entertained crowds and made people smile. He amazed children and adults alike with his shows. Nobody ever got hurt when he performed. So to have felt the moment his friend's heart had stopped beating and losing the warm breath on his arm had nearly petrified him.

Hearing a commotion down the hall, Kaito looked up and his heart nearly stopped when he saw a multitude of doctors and nurses rushing into his friend's room while the Kudo couple was forced out. Making his way over, he grabbed onto Yuusaku's arm. "What's going on? Is Shinichi alright?"

The writer's eyes were filled with worry. "We don't know. His heart rate suddenly increased rapidly before flat lining." The elder male swallowed as he held his wife. "They're trying to get it beating again."

The magician felt cold wash over him. This was the second time Shinichi's heart had stopped without reason. Was it failing? Was that why he collapsed? Did he need a transplant? Kaito knew that transplant waitlists were long, and people didn't always find a match. Biting his bottom lip, the indigo eyed teen clasped his hands together once more and silently prayed for Shinichi's safety.

He didn't stop his silent pleads until a hand landed on his shoulder. Blinking, he looked up and found Ran and Sonoko behind him, Saguru and Heiji behind them. "What's going on?" She demanded, her voice wavering. "Why are you crying? Is Shinichi alright?"

Reaching one hand up, Kaito was surprised to find tears on his cheeks. He shook his head and answered the karate champion, his voice horse. "His heart stopped again." He wiped his eyes and turned back to the door. "They've been trying to stabilize him for the past few hours."

The magician swallowed and looked up when an arm was placed around his shoulders. Saguru didn't say anything but guided him back towards the bench he'd been sitting on earlier. Heiji met them with a steaming cup of liquid, handing it over after the half brit sat them down. Taking the Styrofoam cup with slightly shaking hands, Kaito took a sip and sniffed. It was hot chocolate.

They were all quiet as they waited for the doctors to finish, each lost in their own thoughts. Kaito didn't realize he'd fallen asleep until he was jostled from his position on Heiji's shoulder when the Osakan stood up. Blinking and trying to reorient himself, the magician accepted Saguru's helping hand and turned towards Shinichi's room where the doctors were finally coming out.

One of them – a man in his late forties with graying hair and tired eyed – split off from the rest and turned towards the group gathered. "Kudo-san, if you two would like to follow me please."

Yukiko shook her head. "Anything you have to say you can say to all of us."

The man hesitated for a moment before sighing and nodding. He bowed slightly. "I'm sorry. We did what we could." Kaito felt as though the ground were crumbling beneath his feet. This couldn't be happening. "We've hooked him up to a ventilator, but I'm afraid it doesn't look good for your son. It would take a miracle at this point for him to survive, and even if he did there would probably be multiple complications." He stood back up and seemed truly regretful he had to deliver this news. "It's your decision what to do."

Kaito could see the doctor's lips continue to move, but no sound reached him. This couldn't be possible. Shinichi couldn't be…

He felt two strong arms wrap around him, and another hand grip his shoulder, but the magician didn't move. He didn't – couldn't – believe this was real. It had to be a dream. It had to be. 'Please. Let this be a nightmare. Please.'

Catching a glimpse of his friend lying on the sheets, hooked up to all the different machines and tube running down his throat, Kaito knew it wasn't a dream.

'Please.'

Would any of you believe me if I said this was not how the chapter was supposed to end? Originally Shinichi was supposed to wake up, recover, and start 'training' if you will. But one again, this story has decided to go off on it's own direction. Let me know what you thought!

Chapter Text

Here's chapter 3.

Shinichi stared at the body on the bed. While it looked different with all the wires and tubes attached, he was sure it was his body.

And he wasn't inside it.

Hesitantly touching the body's chest, he watched his hand slide through it. Pulling it back out, he repeated the motion a few times to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Eyes blankly watching the body, Shinichi ran through a mental checklist.

His body was on the bed.

He was next to his body.

His hand went through his body.

Gaze flickering down for a moment, he stared at the space between the floor and the bottom of his feet. He was floating.

The nurse who'd been in there earlier hadn't been able to see him.

He was a ghost, which meant he was dead.

Hearing the whirling and beeping of the machines around him, he watched as the body's chest moved up and down slightly. His body was still alive, but he wasn't inside of it.

Before he could continue contemplating his situation, the door opened once more and his parents quietly walked in. Shinichi felt bad when he saw the tears in both their eyes. He wanted to let them know that this wasn't his fault. That he hadn't done this to himself. He didn't want to make them hurt anymore. He didn't want to make them worry again.

Neither of his parents said a word. His father put a hand on his body's knee while his mother smoothed down his hair and kissed his forehead. Watching her grasp his hand, he blinked and waved his hand in front of her face.

Even though she was touching his skin, she couldn't see him. Which meant that only happened when his soul was in his body.

"Kaa-san…tou-san…" Shinichi didn't understand. He'd thought he was being sent back to his body. Pausing, he stared down at his body. If this was how others felt when he twisted their words, he understood why they didn't like talking to him. He was sure whoever had sent him back was laughing at him right now.

"Shinichi," It was Yuusaku who surprisingly broke the silence, his voice no more than a soft whisper. "I'm sorry. We tried everything we could think of to help you, but in the end I think we just made it worse." The blue eyed teen felt his heart clench as he watched his father bow his head and tears fall. "Please, don't give up yet. You're so much stronger than even we realized. Please, come back to us. Give us one more chance to make things right."

"I'm trying tou-san," Shinichi answered, though he knew his father couldn't hear him. "I never wanted to leave. I know you and kaa-san were trying your best. This isn't your fault. I'll find a way back."

The family lapsed back into silence for a while, the only sound being that of the machines that were keeping Shinichi's body alive and breathing. The floating teen frowned and crossed his arms as he contemplated what to do.

He was pretty sure the being he'd talked to had told him he wouldn't die. He'd specifically been told that he'd been between life and death, which meant technically he wasn't dead. So logically, there had to be a way back to his body.

Now all he had to do was find it.

Looking up when the door opened again, Shinichi's heart sank at the sight of Kaito. The magician looked horrible. His natural bedhead was even worse than usual, and there were dark bags under his eyes. His friend lacked any of his usual cheer and quietly shuffled into the room, not even attempting a smile as he greeted Shinichi's parents.

He'd known his friends would be upset, but he never expected it to affect them this badly. Feeling guilt well up, he let his gaze fall to the floor. Kaito must have cared about him more than he originally thought.

Moving around the bed – which was weird because his feet weren't actually touching the ground so it was more like he was gliding forward rather than walking – he came to a stop next to the magician. Hesitating, he slowly reached out and put his hand on Kaito's, ignoring the way his went partly through the indigo eyed teen's.

Swallowing, he opened his mouth and closed it again. Taking a deep breath – which was more habit than necessity now that he was a ghost – he whispered, "I'm sorry."

He jerked back in surprise when Kaito's head snapped up and turned towards him, eyes wide. "S-Shin-chan?" His voice was a quiet, wavering, whisper that was slightly hoarse. The Kudo couple turned questioningly towards the magician, eyes scanning towards where Kaito was looking.

"Kaito?" Yukiko asked questioningly.

Shinichi moved to the side, shoulders drooping slightly when Kaito's eyes didn't follow. So they still couldn't see him. Yet somehow the magician had heard him. Raising a hand, the blue eyed teen looked from it to Kaito and back again. Was it because he'd spoken while in contact with his friend?

"I…" The indigo eyed teen shook his head and turned to the two, "I must be hallucinating. I thought…I thought I heard Shin-chan's voice just now."

Shinichi saw his father's eyes change as he scanned the room and smiled a bit. Leave it to the elder Kudo male to catch on and understand. If he could communicate by coming into contact with others, he could explain to his parents what was going on. With their resources, maybe they could find something that might help him.

"Maybe you should go home for today," Yukiko suggested gently. "You haven't been getting enough sleep lately." The magician hesitated, eyes roaming the room once more, before reluctantly nodding. His eyes lingered on the body in the bed for a few moments before he turned and left, giving the couple a silent goodbye.

It was quiet for a while before Yuusaku asked softly. "Shinichi?"

Going over to his parents, he reached out and put one hand through his father's hand and the other through his mother's. "I'm here tou-san."

The writer stiffed a little in surprise while the actress pulled both her hands to her mouth to quiet her startled sobs. "Shin-chan."

Putting his hand back through his mother's to make sure she heard him as well, Shinichi answered the question he knew they both wanted to ask. "I'm…pretty sure I'm not dead."

Yuusaku shook his head and asked, "What happened Shinichi?"

Hesitating slightly, he tried to explain. "I…don't really know. When I went downstairs, Kuroba had a black cloud forming around him." He'd explained a little about the black clouds to his parent's years ago before the incident. "Similar to the ones I saw around his father a few times." His father frowned while his mother gazed worriedly at the door.

"Is it still…" His mother trailed off, half standing as though she were going to stop him.

"It was gone today." Both relaxed slightly. "When I saw it, I thought I was still dreaming. I wanted to…make it disappear."

"That's why you were reaching out towards him," The writer summarized.

"Once I touched it…I blacked out. I thought I was dead, but…"

"But?" His mother gently prompted, wiping her eyes.

Frowning as he tried to maintain contact, he said, "I can only speak to you if I maintain contact with your hand. Please stop waving your arms around." The actress sniffed and rested one hand on top of her husbands while the other continued to wipe her tears away. Sighing, he wondered how he could explain what had happened. "I was on the edge of life and death…or, that's what I was told."

He shivered slightly as he remembered the feeling of that void and the voice reverberating inside him. "Oh Shin-chan…" His mother looked like she wanted nothing more than to pull him into a hug. His heart constricted painfully as he realized there was a chance he'd never get to hug her again. Swallowing, he pushed those feelings away and concentrated on getting as much information to his parents as he could.

"I don't…I don't know if what happened was normal. The…being…that spoke to me gave me the impression that I'd been brought there for a reason. It told me I'd been running from my destiny, or fate, and that it was time to face it." Taking a breath, he clenched his hands to keep them from shaking. "It told me why."

"Why what?" Yuusaku asked, leaning forward slightly.

Shinichi was quiet for a few moments before he answered softly. "Why I have these…abilities." He didn't want to call them powers, yet calling them a blessing, or gift didn't set well with him either. He would have said curse, but he didn't want to offend the being he'd talked to unless it changed its mind about letting him stay. He gave his parents a short explanation of what he'd been told, elaborating when they asked.

When he was finished, Yukiko smiled sadly. "Shin-chan, we knew you would turn out to be a wonderful detective ever since you were a baby." The blue eyed teen blinked in surprise. As though sensing it, the retired actress shook her head in amusement. "Yuu-kun had a bad habit of running from his editors and giving them clues as to where he was."

The writer grinned. "It gave them more excitement."

"It gave them heart attacks is what it did. When you were just a baby I took you around as we all looked for him, following the clues he gave." Smile turning fond, she said, "I don't know if it was coincidence or not, but you were the one who helped point me in the right direction and solve his riddle." She looked up and Shinichi moved so she was looking at him. "As you got older, your love and talent for solving mysteries only grew."

"I don't know if you were old enough to remember," Yuusaku cut in, "But I would leave riddles scattered around the house for you." He smiled as he remembered. "Yukiko made me promise to not make them too hard, but when you were five you marched up to me and put the riddles on my desk and demanded I take you seriously."

Yukiko let out a small laugh, and Shinichi smiled, glad to see his parents happy again. "You were so cute, glaring up at him with your arms folded over your chest."

The blue eyed teen was more than happy to listen quietly as the two recounted memories of him solving mysteries, pouring over mystery books and trying to solve them before the book ended, and driving the police up the wall as he pointed out both mistakes they were making or running around the crime scenes when he wasn't supposed to.

Their memories were interrupted by a knock on the door. Turning, Shinichi blinked in surprise at the young woman standing in the doorway. She had long, dark red hair and scarlet eyes. She was wearing a school uniform that the teen recognized as Edoka high's – the same school Kaito and Saguru went to.

"I apologize for the interruption," She said, gliding into the room and closing the door behind her. "My name is Koizumi Akako." Shinichi was startled when she looked right as where he was hovering. "Kudo Shinichi, I presume?" She smiled, though the blue eyed teen wasn't comforted by it in the least. "I've been sent to help you control your powers."

Just so you all know, I was 100% ready to kill Shinichi and end it there. But then of fucking course the story does a big fuck you to my ideas and goes in a completely different direction. So I guess you're stuck with me for a while longer. And remember how I skipped over Akako before? Yeah, she didn't like that and forced her way into this story. Don't forget to let me know what you thought! (Seriously, it's the reviews I get that not only keep me motivated to write this, but also give me some ideas as to where to go. I literally go back and re-read all your reviews when I get stuck or start to lose motivation.)

Chapter Text

Onto chapter 4

Shinichi wasn't sure what to do. Here was a random woman he'd never met coming into his hospital room, able to see his ghost, and announcing she was meant to help him with his abilities. He was saved from having to say anything when his father spoke up.

"Not to be rude Koizumi-san, but I'm afraid we'd like for you to elaborate. You said you're here to help Shinichi?"

"That's correct," Akako nodded and tucked some stray hairs behind her left ear. "I'm afraid I deal more in magic than spirits, however I should be able to help Kudo-kun begin to control his powers."

"Not to sound ungrateful," Shinichi said, "But I don't know you except from what Kuroba has mentioned. Why are you helping me?"

Akako stared at him seriously, no hint of deception on her face. "You are favored by death itself Kudo-kun. I may be powerful, but not even I can go up against something so powerful. As for Kuroba-kun…" She shook her head with a small smile.

"You said you deal in magic."

"I am a witch, Kudo-kun. Unlike Kuroba-kun and his silly little sleight of hand tricks, my magic is real. Spells, potions, demons, and visions. I was the one who supplied Kuroba-kun the spell that allowed him, Hakuba-kun, and Hattori-kun to enter your dreams." Shinichi knew something had been weird, but he hadn't realized the three had actually entered his dreams. He hadn't realized that was possible. As much as he wanted to be upset, he was thankful to them. For the three to go that far for him…he was lucky to have them as friends.

"Demons?" The blue eyed teen had almost forgotten about his parents. He'd let go when Akako had entered, so they had only been hearing half the conversation. Moving back over to them, he put his hands through theirs again in order to allow them to hear what he said as well.

"Yes Kudo-san. My powers allow me to call upon demons, such as Lucifer, to do my bidding."

"Is it your powers that is allowing you to see me?" Shinichi wondered aloud. "You said you didn't deal with spirits earlier."

"Spirits are not within my realm of powers. I am only able to see you now because you are radiating power. It is because you let your powers consume you that you have had problems with your powers, yet allowing it to do so is also what is granting the ability for those you touch to hear you speak in this form."

Gliding over to the bed, she gracefully sat on the edge of it and folded her hands in her lap before continuing. "When you stop letting your powers control you, and you learn to control them, you won't have need to rely on those meaningless objects such as those." She waved one hand dismissively towards the bedside table where his parents had set his glasses, gloves, earplugs, and the charm he'd been given when he was young. "By learning control, your powers won't radiate from you as they do now. Unless you want it, they won't affect others anymore."

The blue eyed teen swallowed. So if he learned to control his abilities, he wouldn't have to worry about people touching him and seeing what he saw. He wouldn't have to worry about his abilities getting out. He wouldn't have to deal with people leaving him because of it.

Turning to the young red haired woman, he bowed his head slightly. "I would be grateful for your help."

"Shin-chan," Yukiko said, standing up along with her husband. "We'll leave you and Koizumi-chan alone to work on this. We'll be back later, alright?"

Yuusaku nodded to the girl on the bed. "Please let us know if there's anything we can do to help."

As his parents left, the blue eyed teen suddenly thought of something. "Koizumi-san, if I learn to control these abilities, will I be able to return to my body?"

Akako shook her head. "It is possible. As I stated before, spirits are not my domain. I was simply instructed to come and begin your training. Once you have control, my job will be done. I do know this however. The longer you stay separated from your body, the weaker the body becomes and the harder it will be for you to return. Think of it as a time limit. If you are unable to gain adequate control over your powers within a certain time frame, it may become impossible to return altogether."

Shinichi grimaced. "And how long is this time frame?"

"I cannot answer that. For now, you should just concentrate on mastering control as soon as you can."

The blue eyed teen studied the scarlet eyed teen sitting on the bed for a few moments. "You seem very concerned that I return for someone who was ordered to come and help."

The female narrowed her eyes before sighing. "I cannot stand to see Kuroba-kun so distressed. The sooner you gain control and return to your body, the sooner he will return to normal."

"You care for him." Akako flushed slightly but didn't answer.

"Let us begin. Kudo-kun, I want you to start by thinking about where your powers are located. Find the source." Shinichi didn't both pushing her and closed his eyes. He'd never thought about where his abilities were located. He'd always just assumed they were part of him as a whole. Logically he would put them in his mind, but in every story or myth powers were located near the heart. However, being a ghost, did he even have a heart? Or a brain for that matter? What was a ghost composed of? He'd seen earlier that with his soul outside the body, his body held no powers. So that meant it was contained within his soul. Yet-

"Kudo-kun," Opening his eyes, he blinked at the female. "You're thinking too much about it. Your powers are a part of you. You should be able to feel where the source is." Shinichi stared at her. He'd never been much for feelings. He preferred logic and rationality. If he was supposed to feel for his powers, then learning control would become much harder than he originally expected.

Remember how I said I didn't know how to write Akako since I'd never written for her before? Yeah. This chapter is shorter, but it's actually a really good place to stop. I'm not going to cover the whole of his 'training' because I have another part I want to get to (and I have no idea what to write for the whole 'controlling his powers' thing). Let me know what you thought!

Also, I really hope this story is turning out to be what you all hoped it to be. There seemed to be some pretty high expectations in the reviews and I just hope for an ending story this is living up to those expectations. Still not sure how long it's going to wind up being.

Chapter Text

So here's chapter 5. I feel like not much actually happens, but I guess here's part of his 'training'.

Shinichi was getting frustrated. It had been over a week and he hadn't made any progress with controlling his abilities, or even finding where they were located, at all. His parents had come every day to check up on him, and his mother had started moving his body around to help it get the exercise it needed. She said that it would hopefully make it easier for him when he returned to his body.

Shinichi was sure she was just happy she got to touch him without being pushed away.

Akako had left when visiting hours were over the first day and hadn't been back since. She said there was nothing else she could do besides wait for him to figure it out on his own. Kaito had stopped by for an hour every day, most of the time just sitting by the bed and not saying anything. The blue eyed teens' mother had suggested he talk, but the magician had simply shaken his head and remained quiet. As much as he wanted to let his friend know he was alright, Shinichi wasn't ready to drag Kaito into this.

Saguru and Heiji had each stopped by the other day and spent their time telling him about what he'd been missing. They'd voiced their concerns for Kaito and had promised to stop by again before leaving. Shinichi hadn't missed the way Heiji's eyes scanned the room a few times. He'd noticed that the Osakan was more in-tune to the spirits around them, but he also noticed how uncomfortable it made his friend.

Shinichi was surprised that none of the spirits in the hospital tried to talk to him. The one time he'd ventured out of his room, the most he'd gotten were stares before they moved away from him. He'd been upset, but one child spirit that was on the verge of crossing over had asked if he was an angel. When the blue eyed teen denied it and asked why, the child had simply said that he was glowing. He'd looked at his hands, but from his point of view, he was the same as the others.

When he mentioned it to his parents, his father had brought up the possibility of the glow being related to his abilities. It had put a damper on his mood. Even as a ghost he was shunned for being different.

He was interrupted from his musings when the door opened and Akako strode in, eyes narrowing on him. Before he could say anything, she began speaking. "It's been over a week Kudo-kun. Most children with powers are able to find their center and begin working on control by now. Yet you have made no progress. At the rate you're going, you'll never get back into your body."

The blue eyed teen flinched at the reminder before crossing his arms and narrowing his own eyes. "I've been trying. Forgive me, your highness, if your instructions were vague."

Akako strode forward until she was right in front of him. "Do you even care how this is effecting those around you?"

Shinichi growled. He'd been dedicating nearly every second of every day into trying to 'find his center'. He knew exactly how hard those around him were taking this. He knew that the longer it took the less likely he'd be able to return to his body. "If you're so worried about Kuroba, why don't you use one of your spells to make him happy again?"

"I would if I could!" The blue eyed teen blinked in surprise at the admission and moisture gathering in the female's eyes. Akako took a deep breath and stepped away. "My magic doesn't work on Kuroba-kun. So the only way I can make him happy again is to get you back into that body."

Feeling all the anger drain out of him, the ghost sighed. "I really am trying; however, I just can't make sense of what you gave me to work with. I know you said I have to feel it, but I can't stop trying to think of it logically."

The witch turned and strode towards the bedside table, grabbing the charm and holding it up to him. "What is this?"

Confused at the sudden change in topic, he answered, "It's a charm to keep spirits away. I got it when I was around five from a temple."

The scarlet eyed female crushed it in her hand, fire licking her palm and burning it away. She ignored his protests and took out a handkerchief to wipe her hands with. "That thing, did absolutely nothing." Seeing his confused expression, she elaborated, "There was no power coming from it. It was simply a small bag on a string with a piece of paper inside. It never kept spirits away from you Kudo-kun." She grabbed the gloves and tossed them into the nearby trashcan, adding his earplugs and glasses as well. "Those are the same. They did nothing about the spirits around you."

"But they-"

"Did nothing." She strode back over to him, her eyes fierce. "You were the one doing those things Kudo-kun. You were controlling your powers unconsciously, believing it was because of those ordinary objects. You tricked your own mind into believing those helped because you were so desperate for something to work. Yet in reality, it was your own doing that kept your powers at bay."

He'd…been controlling his powers this whole time? He thought of the time he first covered his ears with something. He'd just wanted to stop hearing the voices of the dead that kept bombarding him. He'd begged for them to just go away as he clamped his mother's headphones over his ears and turned up the music to drown them out.

When the music had ended, he'd found that while the ghosts were still visible, he couldn't hear them even as their mouths moved. To his younger self, it had been nothing short of a miracle. He'd started to wear the headphones everywhere after that, eventually transferring to the earplugs when the school complained.

When he'd explained it to his parents, it was his father who suggested he try glasses. The elder Kudo male had explained that if it had worked with headphones, maybe the same would hold true with glasses. Shinichi had readily agreed, and quickly put on his father's spare pair. Thinking back, he couldn't remember if it had worked at the time because the prescription had been so strong he couldn't see anything and made him dizzy. Gloves had just been a natural progression afterwards.

When he'd first gotten the charm, he'd believed it created a force field around him. He'd attributed the fact that spirits couldn't get close enough to possess him to the charm that Akako had just burned. Yet now she was telling him that all those things had been because of him rather than the objects themselves.

Closing his eyes, he remembered the feeling he'd had when he'd first gotten the charm. The way his young mind had imagined an invisible shield surrounding him. If he were the one who'd created it, maybe he could shrink it. He imagined himself inside a bubble and slowly watched as said bubble shrank. Remembering how the child had told him he was glowing, he imagined the bubble was containing that glow, constricting it more and more as it shrank in size.

Eventually he stopped when the glowing bubble was no bigger than his fist, contained at the center of his body rather than his heart of head. He opened his eyes and glanced at his hands with a frown. He didn't feel any different than before, and had no way of checking if it had worked or not.

Looking up at the scarlet eyed female, he saw her grinning. "So you can do it." Heading towards the door, she paused just before leaving. "I don't know if I'll see you again, but if you ever hurt Kuroba-kun like this again, I can assure you our meeting won't be as pleasant as this one."

Shinichi frowned, wondering why every time someone left lately it was with a threat to his wellbeing.

Going over to his body, he took a breath and slowly stuck his hand into the softly rising and falling chest. He waited a few moments, but nothing happened. Frowning, he closed his eyes and reimagined his bubble. Instead of the small one he'd had earlier though, it was back to being its original size. Concentrating while keeping his hand in his body's chest, he squeezed the bubble back into the fist size he'd made it earlier, all the glow contained inside. He was about to open his eyes when the bubble slowly started expanding once again.

Eyebrows knitting in concentration, he forced the bubble back into the small size. He kept his focus on the bubble, making sure it stayed contained. After a few minutes passed, he opened his eyes again. Waiting a moment, he closed his eyes once more, sighing in frustration when the bubble was back to its larger size.

Taking his hand from his body's chest, he let his head drop. Now that he knew where his center was and how to start containing his abilities, the next logical step was getting the powers to stay contained. Sitting on the ground – or, floating a few inches above the ground – he crossed his legs and closed his eyes. Maybe if he concentrated on it long enough, the bubble would stay. Attempting to relax, he refocused on the bubble, squishing it back to the fist size he wanted it.

Hopefully once he was able to keep his abilities contained he could go back to his body.

I don't know why this seems so short to me when it's actually longer than the previous chapter. Anyway, there's a look into his 'training'. Probably the most I'll write with him still in ghost form. ...probably. Don't forget to let me know what you thought!

Oh, and for those who are thinking it was too easy how he learned it, why should learning to control your powers be something complex? Most people would discover their powers as kids, and as such learn or figure out how to control them on their own. So it doesn't have to be hard.

Chapter Text

Here's chapter 6 :)

Shinichi struggled to open his eyes. It was as though his eyelids had been glued together while he'd been asleep. His body was numb and throat burning. Finally managing to pry his right eyelid open a crack, he attempted to focus on the fuzzy shapes around him. He could hear sounds, but his head was dizzy and he was having problems making out the words being spoken.

He felt hands on his face, and his first reaction was to try and move away, but his body wouldn't obey. He couldn't get any of his limbs to respond, not even a finger. Feeling exhausted, he closed his eye again.

After what felt like only a few moments, he attempted to open his eyes once more. It was a little easier, but he still couldn't find it in him to open them fully. Slowly glancing to his side, he found some blurry figures. As he watched, they started to move and more sounds assaulted his ears, but he still couldn't make out what they were saying.

If nothing else, his throat felt a little better than before. Blinking slowly, he found the fuzzy shapes were gone. They'd just been there a second ago, yet now they were gone. Either he'd imagined them, or he'd somehow fallen asleep during the blink. His head was pounding and it felt like there was a large weight on top of his body.

He was sure there was something he should be doing, but he was too tired to think about what it was. Closing his eyes once more, he figured a little more sleep wouldn't hurt. Maybe he'd remember what he was supposed to do when he woke up.

Shinichi peeled his eyes open again a little while later, his mind feeling marginally clearer than it had the last time. Slowly moving his eyes to the side, he found a slightly fuzzy figure with their head lying on his bed. Squinting a little, he waited as his vision started to clear and found it was Kaito who was asleep there. He tried to move his hand, but his fingers refused to even twitch. His tongue felt like sandpaper in his dry mouth, and he couldn't make his vocal cords work.

So he was stuck there watching his friend sleep, being unable to do anything to alert to the magician that he was awake. He frowned – or, he tried to frown, he wasn't sure what his face muscles were actually doing – as something began nibbling at the back of his mind. There was something he was forgetting. He was sure it was important, but he couldn't think of it. Feeling a sudden wave of fatigued, he closed his eyes once more. It would come to him later.

When Shinichi opened his eyes again, he found a dark skinned teenager hovering above him, face too close for his comfort. It took him a few moments to register the face as belonging to one Hattori Heiji. The teen was pulled from his view only for Kaito's to replace it. The magician was grinning happily, and Shinichi felt relieved though he couldn't place why. He knew he was forgetting something important, but he couldn't remember what it was.

Focusing on the teen before him, he listened carefully to the sounds his friend was making. He was able to grasp "Shinichi", "Wake", and "Worried" before a hand suddenly clamped over the magician's mouth and he too was pulled away. Eyes slowly trailing to the side, he found Saguru holding back Kaito while lecturing both the magician and the Osakan. His parents were off to the side, both smiling as they watched the interactions happening. Ran and Sonoko were near them, both looking happy.

Blinking slowly, he found everyone suddenly in different positions and speaking softly, meaning he'd probably fallen asleep once again. Sonoko had disappeared, and Ran was speaking quietly with his mother. His father seemed to be telling his friend's something. Focusing on the elder Kudo male, he made out the words "KID" and "Heist".

He watched as the three looked at each other before nodding. As his eyes began sliding shut once more, he watched as a dark cloud began forming over their heads. He tried to fight his eyes closing, to move even a little, to say anything, but felt helpless as he was once again dragged back into sleep. His last thought before being plunged into the darkness was, "Don't go."

Kaito was happier than he'd ever been. Through some miracle the doctors couldn't explain, Shinichi was waking up. The process was slow going, and their might be some complications they find later, but they'd said it shouldn't impede his mobility and that he'd be up and walking after some physical therapy.

While he'd wanted to stay nearby as Shinichi healed, Yuusaku had made a point about them not being able to do anything for a while and had suggested they get out. He'd brought up the fact that there was supposed to be a KID heist that night. The magician had agreed mainly because he hadn't been to one in a while and his mother had made an offhand comment about KID feeling hurt that his biggest fan was skipping out.

There were also the rumors that people were targeting KID at his heists.

Kaito had known for a long time that his father was KID, but his family never said anything about it straight out. The only time the indigo eyed teen had heard his parents admit to Toichi being KID was when he'd confronted them about it and they'd sat him down and explained everything. To the young Kaito, it had just made his father seem that much cooler.

He'd been terrified when he'd first found out about the rumors, but his father had shown him all the precautions he'd been taking and even told him that his mother and Jii were keeping a lookout for him. He still hadn't been happy that his father was being targeted, but he understood that the elder Kuroba had his reasons for continuing. It didn't stop him from worrying though.

Glancing at his watch, he found there was still another half an hour before the scheduled start of the heist. Heiji and Saguru had been forcefully ejected from the room with the jewel by inspector Nakamori who refused to let them help. The two had grumbled but couldn't actually force the man to let them stay, and sulkily slunk back outside to where Kaito had been waiting.

As much as the magician wanted to stay and watch, the screams of the fans were beginning to grate on his ears. He normally didn't mind them and blocked them out, but he was still a little sleep deprived and had a headache growing. Nudging his friends, he pointed towards the building next door. No words were needed as the two understood what he was trying to tell them and nodded, beginning to head towards the empty building. There were a few officers standing guard outside to make sure nobody tried to enter, but the three easily managed to slip past them after Kaito made a small distraction.

Quietly making their way up the roof, the magician sighed in relief at the quiet. Glancing over the side, he happily found that they had a partial view of the room the jewel was being kept in while a full view of the other building's roof. While they wouldn't get to see the entirety of the heist, they could at least see the ending, seeing as how his father tended to leave via rooftop.

Kaito was happy, as things were starting to look up.

Just so you all know, I was originally planning on leaving it with Kaito's black shadow disappearing and not doing anything with it. It was because of all the reviews I got asking what was going to happen with it that this idea came to me. I'll say it again - it's the reviews you all give that give me both motivation and inspiration. I read every single one I get. Multiple times. As for this ending...I couldn't resist. I had to end it there. You'll understand how this plays into everything later on. Let me know what you thought.

And now for some news that you all might hate. I'm going on vacation. Which means I won't be posting another update until sometime around August 20th. (Or later since I also just graduated and need to look for a job -_- So sorry to leave it like this, buuuut, if things work out how I'm hoping they will, this story won't have many chapters left to go.)

I have noticed that I'm not getting as many reviews. Is that because you all are getting tired of the story? Or just because you have nothing to say? It's fine if you have nothing to say or just don't feel like commenting, but I'm starting to worry that I'm dragging this on too much and you're all getting tired of it. (I always think the worst, so I may be worrying over nothing, but I continue writing mostly for you all, so I want to keep you all entertained and hooked.)

Chapter Text

It's been a while but I FINALLY MANAGED AN UPDATE! It's short, but I FINALLY UPDATED!

Shinichi slowly made his way into the graveyard, the wheelchair squeaking slightly with every rotation. Kaito was ahead of him, slowly wobbling forward on his cane as his mother supported him, Aoko at his other side. Heiji and Saguru were back with their parents, the Osakan’s left arm still in a sling and the blond gripping his bandaged head with a small grimace.

While the blue eyed teen hadn’t been there, he’d heard about what had transpired from his parents. Toichi’s heist had gone wrong almost from the get-go. Snipers continuously shot at the thief, not caring if they hit an officer or civilian. When the white clad male had attempted to leave to spare anyone from getting hurt, one of the bullets tore through his glider and sent his careening onto the same roof Kaito, Heiji, and Saguru had been waiting on.

Toichi had attempted to flee, but when the roof began to explode, he’d ignored everything else and turned back to make sure the teenagers were unharmed. Shielding them the best he could as the building shook and began falling from under their feet, Toichi had taken a shot to the back. The bullet had pierced his lung and had the male stumbling forward into a horrified Kaito.

Yuusaku had explained how Toichi’s efforts had saved the teens, but at the cost of his own life. It was only after the younger Kuroba had awoken from his two week slumber that he’d gotten word of his father’s passing. It was another few days before he’d been told Aoko’s father had perished as well. He’d gotten too close to a sniper, and received a bullet through his head.

None of them had been officially released from the hospital until that day, and even then Shinichi still had to return after the funeral was complete. Inspector Nakamori had been buried a few days after his death, and Kaito was still stricken that he had missed it. The man had been like a second father to him.

Shinichi hated seeing the pained look on his friends face. He bit the inside of his cheek as they came upon the Kuroba family grave. Kuroba Toichi, in full KID regalia, was waiting for them, Ginzo Nakamori at his side.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see his parents looking down at him, worried frowns on their faces. Swallowing thickly, he took a deep breath and returned his gaze to the proceedings. He couldn’t exactly blame his parents for worrying. Ever since he could remember he’d despised graveyards and did all he could to stay away from them. Many ghosts who had nowhere to go tended to stay near their graves.

Not hearing a word of what was being said, the blue eyed teen felt as though he were tearing himself apart as he debated what to do. Toichi and Ginzo weren’t going to stay here forever. The sniper who’d shot the inspector had been apprehended, and he would likely be leaving after the funeral was over. This would be his last chance to say goodbye to his daughter. Toichi’s death had been more complicated, as it hadn’t been the bullet that had killed him. The elder magician had passed instantly when he’d hit the ground after launching himself and the three teen’s over the edge of the building in order to save them from the explosions. And since he’d willingly jumped, there was no murderer to be brought to justice.

Shinichi had never encountered a ghost who’d died as Toichi had. A self sacrifice to save the lives of others. The wheelchair bound teen didn’t know how long the elder Kuroba’s ghost would remain on this earth. He could stay until Kaito himself passed, or disappear along with Ginzo after the proceedings had finished.

Could Shinichi really take the chance and not allow either men to say their last goodbyes to their children? Could he really live with himself if he passed up this chance? Would it be fair to Kaito or Aoko to put his own selfishness ahead of their suffering? Shinichi felt the back of his throat burn. He hated himself for having been relieved to hear it was Toichi and not Kaito that had perished. He had been happy to learn his friends were still alive at the cost of two good people he only barely knew. He felt sick, knowing that these feelings would never change. He felt horrible, knowing the only reason he didn’t want to let Kaito hear his father’s last words were because he was terrified the magician would turn on him. He was terrified of Kaito not believing him, and accusing him of playing some sick and twisted prank.

The beginning of tears were welling in his eyes, blurring his vision as he came to a decision. Even if Kaito hated him after this, even if the magician walked out of his life forever, he deserved to get the chance to say goodbye to his father. He and Aoko both. Swallowing thickly, he waited until Kaito and Aoko were the only two left before nodding slightly to his parents and moving up towards them.

Every waking moment had been spent in an attempt to control his abilities. Every moment had been in an attempt to gain control. Taking a deep breath and ignoring Kaito’s glance, he steeled his resolve and griped Kaito’s hand in his left, and Aoko’s hand in his right before squeezing his eyes shut and for the first time since he’d woken, letting go of his newfound control.

There was silence, then two sharp intakes of breath, and Kaito’s wavering voice. “T-Tou-san?”

You all don't realize how badly I want to just end the story right here.

Let me know what you thought! And Happy Holidays! Hope you enjoy this present!

I literally got a nosebleed as I was posting this. Is it possible to get one by being so happy that I finally managed to update this?

Chapter Text

Here it is. The FINAL chapter of this series. After so long, this series is finally finished! I owe a HUGE thank you to Don't-touch-my-son's for reading through this for me and helping me make sure everything made sense!

Shinichi didn't know what to do. After he'd allowed Kaito and Aoko say goodbye to their fathers, there had been silence between them until Aoko had abruptly left. Kaito had waited a little longer before wobbling away with his cane. Shinichi had called his name, but the magician hadn't looked back at him. He simply kept walking as he nearly whispered, "I need some time alone."

It was only a few minutes later that his parents had come back to return him to the hospital. His mother had hugged him and told him she was proud of him. His father had simply squeezed his shoulder.

That had been almost two weeks ago. Saguru and Heiji had come to visit him the next day. Shinichi had reluctantly revealed his secret to them, both because he knew that keeping them out of it would only make things worse if Kaito told them, and because the two would be far away for the next month. Heiji was headed back to Osaka, while Saguru was headed back to London by request of both his parents.

At least this way Shinichi could pretend that they weren't visiting because of the distance. He resolutely ignored the part of his brain that pointed out they weren't calling or texting him either.

Shinichi couldn't forget the way they'd left even if he'd tried. Saguru had been pale and his voice had been shaking slightly as he'd said he needed to think things over. Heiji had remained jumpy and the blue eyed teen hadn't missed the way his eyes had continued moving around the room and kept his distance.

He'd been allowed to go back home yesterday and had spent his entire time home in the library, busying himself with reading every new book he could get his hand on. His parents were worried, but thankfully hadn't said anything about it. Shinichi wasn't sure he could handle it if they did.

This was exactly what he was afraid of. Once they found out the truth, they left. Just like everyone else. Feeling his eyes burn, the blue eyed teen closed the book he was reading and put his head in his hands. He'd hoped…after everything they'd done for him…after everything they'd been through…he'd hoped maybe they could get over this as well.

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he looked up at his mother and asked softly, "They're…not coming back, are they?"

"Give them a little more time Shin-chan." Shinichi nodded, but he already knew that if they hadn't come back yet, chances were they wouldn't.

Heiji stared at the door. It had been two and half weeks since they'd had that bombshell dropped on them. Two and half weeks since he'd learned that something he'd believed to be a myth was real. Two and half weeks since he'd seen with his own eyes that ghosts were real.

He'd gone to every temple in Osaka, talked to every priest, and spent the rest of the time reflecting on this information. And after two and half weeks, he'd decided he needed to talk to Shinichi again. But now that he was here, he was having a hard time knocking.

"Damnit Heiji, what are ya scared of? All ya have ta do is knock." Squeezing his eyes shut, the Osakan slammed his palms to his cheeks before quickly knocking, not giving himself a chance to chicken out. Swallowing, he listened as footsteps came closer and had to force himself to remain where he was.

It was only when he was on the receiving end of Kudo Yuusaku's impassive face that Heiji wondered if this was a good idea. He didn't even get a chance to open his mouth before the elder Kudo moved aside and said, "Shinichi is in the library."

Stepping inside, Heiji took another deep breath and nodded. "Thank ya." Slowly removing his shoes, the dark skinned teen steeled his nerves and made his way towards the massive library.

The first thing he noticed when he entered was the massive pile of books that surrounded the armchair he'd come to know as Shinichi's space. The next were the crutches, and finally the little tuff of hair that was Shinichi's eternal cowlick. Making his way towards the couch that sat parallel to the armchair, the Osakan sat where he could observe his friend as Shinichi read.

He felt guilt well up at the sight. Shinichi had dark bags under his eyes, and he was thinner than when Heiji had last seen him. His skin seemed pasty, and if he looked closer he could see the redness and puffiness that were telltale signs he'd been crying. He should have come by earlier. Or at least texted him. Something. Damnit, he knew – they all knew – that Shinichi didn't take people leaving well. Yet they'd done just that. Left him with nothing for coming upon three weeks now. He probably thought they hated him.

And after he'd finally worked up the courage to let them know the last secret he'd been keeping.

What kind of friends were they?

Heiji tried to smile when Shinichi finally finished what he was reading and noticed him. "Hey."

Shinichi swallowed and the Osakan felt his stomach knot up at the way his friend's hands trembled as they gripped the book tightly. "H-Hi."

The silence stretched and became awkward as Shinichi kept his eyes on the ground and Heiji tried to think of what to say. "So…ghosts?" He felt like slapping himself when Shinichi flinched slightly and nodded. Rubbing the back of his head, the dark skinned teen continued. "Guess it makes sense. Da way ya hate us touchin' ya. Da reason ya knew 'bout dat guy dyin' at da party when we met ya. Da way ya knew dat guy wasn't dead when we got dere." He trailed off slightly and laced his fingers together before deciding to go ahead and lay everything on the table.

"After ya told us, I – honestly – I didn' know what ta think. After gettin' back ta Osaka, I talked ta some priests. I thought…I thought I could understand ya more by askin', but dey didn' tell me anythin' I didn' already know. I kinda…well, I never really believed in da supernatural, ya know? But…dere was always somethin' dat made me wonder. Like…sometimes it'd be like dere was…somethin' around dat I couldn' explain. Guess I was also tryin' ta figure out if dat meant anythin'."

Heiji took a breath and looked up at his friend. Shinichi was watching him, as though trying to figure out what he was saying. The Osakan swallowed nervously before bowing. "Sorry. I should a let ya explain. I shouldn' have run out like dat." Raising his head, he hoped the blue eyed teen could see how sorry he was. He held out his hand. "I'm willin' ta listen dis time."

He waited as Shinichi looked from his face to his hand before slowly and hesitantly reaching out to grip his hand. Heiji smiled and gripped it firmly. "Are…Are we still friends?"

The Osakan stood up and knelt down right in front of Shinichi, forcing the older male to look at him. "I never stopped bein' yer friend," He said seriously. "I can't promise I'll get everythin' right off da bat, but even if I don' understand everythin', I'm willin' ta try if ya let me."

Heiji grinned and ruffled Shinichi's hair as the older teen started crying as he finally smiled.

Saguru checked his phone once more before pushing open the Kudo manor's gate and making his way towards the door. He'd sent Shinichi a message a week ago – after he'd finally managed to escape his mother long enough to do so – and told him he'd be arriving in Japan and wanted to see him, however he still hadn't received a response.

He honestly hadn't had too much time to dwell on what he'd been told, between his mother's instance he be examined by her personal physician and then her desire to keep him on lockdown until she deemed him fit. She'd even taken his phone, computer, and assorted electronics hostage to ensure he stayed in the house and rested. All that resulted in was him combing through their extensive library for anything he could find relating to the supernatural. He wasn't very impressed by their lack of anything sustainable relating to the subject.

As much as the subject unnerved him now that he knew ghosts indeed existed, he was s detective and refused to draw any conclusions until he had all the facts. The quickest way to do so was to ask Shinichi directly. He'd be more help – and more reliable – than dusty old books that may or may not contain the information he sought.

Knocking three times, Saguru stepped back and waited. Checking his pocket watch once more, he snapped it shut and put it away when he heard the door open. He bowed slightly to Yukiko. "I apologize for taking so long to visit. May I please speak with Shinichi-kun?"

The elder woman nodded and stepped aside. "Shin-chan and Heiji-kun are in the library."

Saguru lifted an eyebrow. "Hattori-kun is here?" While he wasn't too surprised the Osakan visited, he was surprised the darker teen had beat him to the punch so to say.

"He's been here for a few days now." Yukiko smiled softly. "He was originally only planning on staying for a day or two, but once he saw Shin-chan he decided to stay longer. Thanks to that Shin-chan's actually eaten something and willingly gone to sleep." Saguru smiled slightly. If Heiji had one good quality, it was that he cared deeply about his friends and always made sure they were getting enough food and rest.

Slipping off his shoes, the blond nodded to the woman and made his way inside. Knocking on the doorframe, he waited until the two occupants turned in his direction before entering. "Kudo-kun, Hattori-kun."

"Aren't ya supposed ta be in London?" Heiji asked. Saguru didn't miss the way he put one hand on Shinichi's shoulder, or the way the blue eyed male kept his eyes directed at the ground.

"I sent Kudo-kun a message last week telling him I would be returning and that I wished to speak with him." Turning to Shinichi, he asked, "Did you not receive it?"

"I…haven't checked." Saguru supposed he couldn't blame him. He was probably terrified of their reactions to what he'd told them.

The blond nodded and made his way in front of Shinichi. "I must apologize to you Kudo-kun. Both for leaving so suddenly after you trusted us with your secret as well as not contacting you earlier. I had every intention of doing so, however my mother had confiscated my phone along with all other electronics almost as soon as I had landed. It is not a good excuse, I understand, however I hope you understand that it was not because of you or anything you said or did."

"You…you're not…mad?"

Saguru shook his head and took a seat on the couch facing Shinichi. "I am in no way upset with or at you. I apologize if it seemed that way to you." Threading his fingers together, the blond figured it was better to go ahead and get this out of the way. "I will admit I was shocked when you told us. I have never once believed ghosts to exist, and was unprepared to be proven otherwise." Shinichi's eyes returned to the ground. "I have no base knowledge on this subject and as such have no idea how I should react. I was hoping you could provide me with more information so I am able to better understand."

"Ya seem ta be takin' dis well," Heiji commented.

"While this has been a surprise, I have not found any way that my life has truly changed. It's not as through suddenly learning ghosts exist will change my way of living. Kudo-kun has already told us that we have no reason to fear them, and I see no reason to doubt him when he has more knowledge on this subject than I do."

Saguru sighed and looked down. "I will admit that I haven't had adequate time to process this, as I haven't had much time to myself, so I assume at least part of my acceptance is coming from that. However I have no intention of letting this ruin a good friendship." He smiled at Shinichi. "So while I can't say that I will ever fully understand this, or fully grasp the magnitude of this part of your life, I can promise you that I will never stop being your friend because of it."

Shinichi seemed to slump in relief, smiling happily and nodding in acceptance. "You don't have to tell me everything at once, or even right now, but when you feel up to it I would very much like to know more. Do you think that would be alright?"

Saguru held out his hand, hoping to convey that he was serious and didn't mind sharing in this part of Shinichi's life. He smiled when his friend took his hand. It was the second time he'd grasped it, and this time he took note of the calluses that were there, the smoothness that showed used lotion, and the paleness that was leftover from his continuous use of gloves over the years. He'd known Shinichi for a little over two years now, and he was still learning new things about his friend. Saguru figured he'd still be learning new things about the older teen years down the road.

Shinichi was happy that Heiji and Saguru hadn't left him. He was surprised that they were willing to try and understand what he saw, and relieved that they still considered him a friend.

But it had been over a month and Kaito still hadn't messaged him or stopped by.

As happy as he was that Heiji and Saguru were there, he still wished the magician would come back. Kaito was a large part in getting him to open up. It was always Kaito who initiated everything, or planned out all their trips and ways he'd get Shinichi to smile. It was always Kaito who was the first to accept what Shinichi told them.

Yet now he was nowhere to be seen. Shinichi knew he had taken the elder Kuroba's death hard, but it was getting hard to keep telling himself that Kaito wasn't talking to him for that reason as opposed to because he thought Shinichi was creepy or didn't want to be his friend.

Shinichi was beginning to wonder if he'd ever see Kaito again when Heiji and Saguru literally dragged the magician into his library. The blue eyed teen had never seen his friend so down. He wanted to ask if Kaito was alright, but bit his lip. What if Kaito said it was Shinichi's fault?

"Tell 'im what ya told us," Heiji said as the silence started to drag on, nudging Kaito's shoulder.

The magician winched and kept his eyes on the ground. "Aoko…blames tou-san for her fathers death." Shinichi could hear the raw pain in his voice. "She…she said it was his fault he was there. That…that because tou-san was KID…that she lost the last of her family. That it's because of tou-san that she's all alone."

"That's the reason he hasn't been in contact with us or come over yet," Saguru said, putting a hand on Shinichi's shoulder. "It's not because he's not your friend or hates you."

Kaito's head snapped up at that, a horrified look on his face. "I could never hate you Shin-chan." Tears appeared in the magician's eyes. "You let me say goodbye to tou-san. I will never be able to repay you for that." He shook his head. "I just…I wanted to be alone for a while. I didn't want to come over when I was still a mess, because I didn't want you or anyone to worry. I thought I'd make you feel worse by doing that."

"I…I thought…"

"Shinichi." Kaito got on his knees in front of the blue eyed teen and grasped his arms, forcing Shinichi to look at him, "You will always be my friend. I thought I made that clear. There is nothing you could do or say that would change that. It doesn't matter to me if you can see ghosts. It's honestly not that surprising, considering I know an actual witch."

"Koizumi-san. We've…met."

Kaito reeled back. "Y-You've met her?"

Shinichi shook his head. "It…It's a long s-story. Are…Are you alright though? With…everything?"

Kaito took a deep, shaky, breath and nodded slowly. "I'm…still coming to terms with the fact tou-san is…isn't coming back. It…It hurts that Aoko blames tou-san. I don't…I don't know if she'll ever forgive him. I might…I might have to live with the fact that she…won't be in my life anymore." Kaito wiped the tears from his eyes. "Aoko and her dad…they were like family. I didn't…I didn't just lose one family member. I lost three."

Shinichi bit his lip, not sure if he should tell the magician this or not. He hadn't told Heiji or Saguru either, unsure how they'd react. They'd all been accepting about the ghosts, but he wasn't sure if this would be pushing it or not.

"Shin-chan?"

Swallowing, Shinichi kept his eyes trained on the ground. "I'm…I'm sorry."

"Sorry about what? What's the matter?"

"I...I knew…someone was…going to die that night. I'm…I'm not as sad…as I should be…that it was…who it was."

Kaito's grip on his arms tightened. "What do you mean?"

"I…It wasn't…supposed to…be your dad." He couldn't look the magician in the eyes.

"Shinichi," Kaito's voice was shaking. "What are you talking about? Are you saying my father wasn't supposed to die that night?"

The blue eyed teen could feel the tears begin to fall as he shook his head. "It…It was supposed to be you. All of you." He squeezed his eyes shut. "I'd just…woken up. I couldn't…I tried…I thought…When I heard…I was happy…because it wasn't…it wasn't you. I'm sorry."

He could feel Kaito's hands shaking. For a long moment, nobody said anything or even moved. Finally, the magician let go and Shinichi thought he would leave again, but was surprised when instead he felt two arms wrap around him. Kaito's tears began soaking into Shinichi's shirt as he hugged the blue eyed teen. "You didn't kill him Shin-chan. If it wasn't for you, I might have lost him a long time ago. You said you tried. That's all that matters. You tried."

"I mean no offence to your father," Saguru said softly, "But if I were in your shoes I would have been happy it wasn't you as well."

Shinichi grasped Kaito's shirt and buried his face into the younger male's shoulder as he cried. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Kaito whispered. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Just…just promise me you won't ever keep anything from me. From us. No more secrets."

Shinichi nodded, not looking up. "No more secrets."

Okay, so I will admit that I'm not the fondest of Kaito's part. I feel it's kind of rushed and not well thought out, but I couldn't really think of a better way to write it. And I don't think I made it very clear, but Saguru actually came a few days after Heiji. Not the same day.

Thank you all very much for sticking with me through this and to all the people who have reviewed. I'm very grateful to you all and sincerely hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you all, and happy Holidays to all who celebrate it.

I think the main reason I found the motivation/inspiration to finish this story was all the reviews I received throughout this series. There was so much support and so many good ideas and going back and reading them all helped me get over my Writers Block. So once again, I want to thank everyone who took the time to review on even one chapter of this series. I am eternally grateful to all of you, and only hope that you all found some semblance of joy reading this, even if it was only from one part, or one chapter.

Thank you very much, and Happy Holidays.

Until next time,

~Akirafanatic