A Quick Note: This story is for the random purpose of writing a fan fiction on a forum board, thus it's not going to show up on my fan fiction account. Tell me what you think. One shot. Kind of CoAi, kind of ShinRan... (Also, I obviously don't own Detective Conan, etc.)
The Real Traitor
This entire time… you must’ve called me a traitor in the back of your mind. You knew that was what I was. You acted as if you were better, as if you were the very symbol, the very meaning, of justice. You are a traitor too, Kudo-kun. Just as bad as I was.
Haibara Ai walked the silent street. Her breath was visible in front of her face, and the cold air bit at her skin. At this point she didn’t care. She couldn’t care. Why would she care in the first place? No. No, there was no reason to care. No one would care about that. No one. Especially not her. She sighed, a large puff of white appearing in response. Her eyes wandered up to the sky.
“Haibara, I really do. I mean it! This is really weird for me to say, so please, believe me!”
The girl’s eyes returned to the road in front of her. Japan’s weather had been rather cold and now ice covered many streets. Such an inconvenience. Her mind attempted to press away the words he had spoken. Haibara continued to walk forward, careful not to slip and fall on the ice. “Wouldn’t that be ironic.” She spoke out loud to herself.
“I promise to never leave you. I’ll protect you, forever.”
Haibara stopped again, her hand reaching out to the brick wall beside her. “Liar.” She hissed softly, his words finally evoking a response. Her fingers withdrew from the wall slightly, reacting to the chilling feel. She hadn’t worn gloves or mittens today, she had forgotten them. She had forgotten them at Hakase’s place as she quickly ran out the door. Once again, the child clenched her teeth. “I don’t care.” She said aloud, trying to drown out the words echoing in her mind.
“I was so scared you wouldn’t return my feelings, Haibara. You wouldn’t believe how relieved I am right now.”
Haibara hit the wall next to her. She had revealed her feelings to him that day. That day when he said so many lies. He said it, he convinced her! It was his fault, that traitor’s fault!
“No, I don’t want Ran! It’s you that I love, Haibara! I’ve gotten over her! Please, don’t reject me because of her.”
“Shut up.” Haibara once again retorted to the empty space around her. No one else was on this road. No one else but her. Just her and her thoughts haunting her, the feeling of betrayal fresh inside of her.
“This is the antidote? Permanently? Thank you, Haibara! You’re a genius!”
“Tch.” She muttered, forgetting why she was even walking anymore. She pressed her back against the wall. Her tiny hands pulled a small red and white pill out of her pocket. She looked down on it, pain evident in her eyes.
“So you’re going to take it in a few days? That’ll be great, Haibara! With the Organization gone, you’ll have nothing to fear, and I’ll be right there with you. We can enjoy high school for a change.”
“Empty promises.” She whispered, her vision blurring as tears threatened to fall down her face. Haibara swallowed several times, stopping any tears that dared to come down. “I don’t care.” She said aloud again, convincing herself that it was true. She closed her hand around the pill.
“I’ll say good bye to Ran today for good. She’ll be sad, but I can’t just leave her hanging. After that, you and I can be together.”
Haibara slid down, sitting on the cold and frozen road. She pulled her knees up to her chest, then pressed her forehead against her knees. “It all sounds so stupid. Why would I have believed such an obvious lie?”
Haibara walked into the room, just waking up from a catnap she had taken. She was finishing some research on things that had nothing to do with the antidote for once, and it was rather enjoyable to her mild surprise. However what met her sleepy eyes came as a very unpleasant shock.
“Ran… I’m sorry.” At first, Haibara figured that she had stumbled upon what Kudo-kun had promised. That he was in middle of telling her good bye. She felt wrong for listening in on it, but she couldn’t help herself. The girl hid in the shadows, watching intently. Suddenly, she saw Kudo-kun reach and gently take a hold of Ran’s arms. “I’m sorry for leaving you for so long. I.. I almost did something I’d regret today. So instead… I want to let you know… That I…” Haibara felt something turn in her stomach. It sounded like… like he was going to… say something that she didn’t want to hear.
“Shinichi…” Ran-san whispered. Kudo-kun looked her in the eyes.
“I love you, Ran.” Haibara immediately felt the need to find a toilet to puke in. For a few moments she tried her best to calm her nerves down, to evaluate the situation. She waited for the “but” or anything that would counteract what he had just said.
“I love you too, Shinichi.” Haibara stared as the two drew closer, sharing a kiss. Haibara felt lightheaded and she began to quietly and quickly make her way back down the stairs. Her mind wouldn’t think straight and she only managed to get her heavy coat and her shoes to exit out the back door that few people knew about. After walking around for awhile, she found herself on an icy street.
Reliving the moment that brought her to this very place caused a new attack of tears to come, this time they came pouring out of her eyes. She began to sob, alone on the street, in the cold, where no one could find her. Where she belonged.
“Kudo-kun… you’re the traitor. You’re the traitor.” She yelled between sobs. This would be the last time she cried. The last time something could make her cry. When she went home, she’d be ‘herself’ with no emotion to be seen. She’d be her cynical self, Haibara Ai, forever stuck in elementary. In her hand, she squeezed the pill until it became a powder. She then opened it and watched the pieces fall onto the ice, disappearing. This is the last time. Haibara promised herself, then buried her face in her arms and let the exhaustion of everything overtake her.
Sayonara, Edogawa Conan.