KudoEdogawa presents...

"Leaf"

(A/N: First attempt at a one-chapter long story, this fic is based on a Chinese music video of a song by the name "Leaf." Character settings are slightly altered, a rather sad and angst-ish fic.)

*Leaf*

Leaf, it's a pair of flightless wings
Wings, it's a piece of airborne leaf

"We can start in my life, issho ni, akiramezu yume to. Nee mou hitori no jibun ni aeru kara." Ran sang melodiously under the yellowed autumn tree. "Kimochi hitotsu de kawarerun d-" Her voice broke and groaned.

She leaned hopelessly against the tree, her dark, brown hair blending with the brown of the tree trunk. "...Kawarerun d-" she tried again and stopped. "Shinichi!" She shouted.

"Hmm?" Came a voice from behind the tree. Ran turned around; Shinichi was also leaning against the tree, half asleep.

Ran repositioned herself and sat down next to Shinichi and shook him. "Wake up!" She begged. "Help me! The audition's in thirty minutes!"

"I don't want to say this but, I told you so. But you insisted on adding that three spoons of hot sauce to your ramen last night. Your voice is still a bit hoarse even now." Shinichi said casually, both eyes still closed.

"So what do I do now? I just can't sing high enough with this damaged voice of mine!" Ran cried despairingly. "Kimochi hitotsu de kawarerun d-...argh!"

"Chill out," Shinichi said, eyes still closed. "Calm down and concentrate, don't be so nervous, just relax and you'll be able to get it right, either that or choose another song."

"...Kawarerun d-...oh, why am I kidding myself, asking you for advices on music." Ran groaned again. "I'm not going to make the audition..."

"So choose an easier song, just calm down!" Shinichi said, a bit annoyed. "You'll do fine!"

There was a moment of silence. Ran's expression cooled and she closed her eyes. "But where to has my heart gone? I cannot see even as I sear-arched, I think that I've lost something more than just you..." She sang, bring her voice high and sharp half way through the song and back down beautifully without much effort.

"See?" Shinichi said simply. Ran nodded.

They sat a little while longer under the tree, Ran humming to herself softly. "Ne, Shinichi!" She said suddenly. "What would you do if I became a singer?"

"Well then, I think I'll have a second job." Shinichi said.

"What would that be?"

Shinichi opened his eyes and looked at his girlfriend, "Your number one fan, of course!" He kissed her on the forehead and picked up a piece of fallen leaf and placed it in the palm of Ran's head. He blew softly at the piece of leaf, letting it fly, "Let your dreams fly high, Ran!"

Shinichi's eyes drifted casually at his watch, and then he panicked. "Shoot! The audition's about to start, we'd better get going!" He grabbed her and stood up and they ran towards the studio.

"But Shinichi..., my throat still feels uncomfortable, what if my voice breaks again during the audition?" Ran asked worriedly.

Shinichi stopped in his tracks, "Don't worry! I'll buy something for you to drink, just get there first, I'll be back soon!" With that he ran off towards the opposite direction, smiling, waving and winked at her. That image looked so familiar, it was just like when she first lost him at Tropical Island a few years ago. A feeling of dread overcame her but she proceeded to the studio nevertheless.

**l.e.a.f**

Shinichi walked up and down the aisle of the convenience store, looking through various products. Coke, Sprite, Pepsi, orange juice, coffee, ah, there it is! Classic and traditional, throat-refreshing, oolong tea! Shinichi smiled and grabbed a couple of these and paid for them. He left the convenience store, juggling the drinks. Wow! Ran auditioning to become a singer? He had been surprised by Ran's musical talents back in the days as Conan, but he's now even more proud and amazed after a few trips to the karaoke. He smiled again and walked past a small alley, completely unaware of the rumbling engine, the wind rushing.

SCREECH! and a bang. The car stopped abruptly and the driver stepped out of his car, frightened and the crowd gathered around the unconscious man on the ground. Chirpings of ambulances, so unlike the melodious voice of Ran...Shinichi knew no more.

Leaf...
It's a pair of flightless wings.
Wings...
Is a piece of airborne leaf.
Heaven...
It's not an illusion after all...

Ran stepped on to the stage nervously and looked at the judges below. Where was Shinichi? Why hasn't he returned? The main judge raise an arm, asking her to begin. Ran nodded and took a deep breath "We can start in my life, issho ni, akiramezu yume to. Nee mou hitori no jibun ni aeru kara. Kimochi hitotsu de kawararen da...hora koko kara hajime you, just start in my life. Memories in my heart, Kono ka-"

The judged raised his arm again. "That would be enough, Mouri-san, you may leave and await for the results."

Ran bowed and stepped off, why had they dismissed her so early? Was she doing poorly up there? Where the heck is Shinichi? She stood outside the studio, seeking traces of Shinichi...there was nothing. Depressed and worried, she walked back home by herself.

**l.e.a.f**

Ran sat in her bed, repeating the same number on her cell phone, and getting the same voice mail greeting for the past three hours. Where could he be? Surely he would let her know...after all, he promised that he'd throw a grand birthday party for her tomorrow. That's it! He must be preparing a surprise for her. With that as a comforting thought, she drifted slowly to sleep.

I think I'm beginning to forget,
How I took flight in the first place...

Tomorrow came, and Ran dialed the same number again and again, only to the reply of the voice mail greeting. Day turned to noon, noon turned to night, Ran remained in her own rented house, dialing the same number. A soft rumble came from her stomach; she hasn't eating anything the whole day.

She got up from her seat and left her house, returning a moment later with a small cake and a candle.

"Happy birthday to me... happy birthday to me... happy birthday dear Ran-chan... happy birthday......" She sang softly and blew out the candle on the cake, allowing the darkness to surround her.

Ran reached in the dark for the firelighter and relit the candle. She placed the cake on the table in front of her and roamed towards the TV. She took a stack of photo from the top of the TV and slid to the ground, leaning helplessly against the shelf. She looked at the pictures; it's pictures of her last birthday, it was just her and Shinichi..., now it's just her. She sobbed.

Loneliness...
It's the party of being alone.
Party...
It's the loneliness of the group.
Romance..
Started out with accompaniment...

**l.e.a.f**

Ran comforted herself over the next few days. She had been without Shinichi before, it's no big deal, she survived through that, she could survive through this. But, the other part of her told her, there's not even Conan now.

A shrill ring broke the silence, she picked up her cell phone frantically and was disappointed to see that it wasn't Shinichi. She had an urge to disconnect the call, but ended up answering.

"Moshi moshi?" It such a painful and inaudible whisper.

"Mouri-san?" Ran recognized the voice of the judge at the audition. "We would like to congratulate you, you have been accepted. Our associates will be visiting you over the next few days to help you pack up and relocate so it would be easier for you to come to the recording studio."

Ran sat and listened, and after what seemed like years of heart-stabbing waiting, the call ended.

The next few days came and gone in a blink of an eye, Ran did not speak much to her manager and other helpers. At last came the time to leave, Ran carried her box of memories with Shinichi, Heiji, Kazuha, her family, the detective boys, Sonoko, and looked at the now empty house. "Good-bye..." she whispered and followed her manager out the door.

I think I'm beginning to forget,
How it felt like to have someone with you...

**l.e.a.f**

Shinichi dashed out onto the road, it was night already. Ooh, Ran's going to be so furious with him. With a sense of apology, he headed for the studio to find it empty. Ran has left already, and he missed her performance.

"Now what do I do?" He muttered to himself and wandered around the streets of Beika, his feet brought him to Ran's apartment, and he decided to pay her a visit.

He reached the door and search his pockets for the key, the key of hope..., the door was locked, was she out? He turned the doorknob and pushed the door open...

His jaw dropped...the house was empty. Disappointed, he returned to his own house. He sat eating dinner, all alone by himself.

I am alone dining, traveling,
Stopping, walking everywhere.

After the dinner Shinichi took a miserable walk, for some reason, he's not surrounded by fans wherever he goes; no one seems to have noticed him. And where was Ran? How could she pack up and leave in just one afternoon?

And alone reading, writing,
Talking, thinking, with myself.

He came across the large electrical watch board in the downtown plaza which showed entertainment news and the date and time: Shinichi was shocked for a second in the night..., it was seven whole month after the audition! How could this be? Just as he is lost in his own thoughts the image on the watch board shifted to an advertisement:

"Ran Mouri--

First Album: Sweetheart

Warming your heart this Christmas."

And there was a image of Ran, smiling, but only Shinichi could see the pain and loneliness hidden beneath that smile. But nevertheless, Ran made it!

**l.e.a.f**

Ran stood in the recording studio, repeating the same line for the past few hours: "Aishiteru, my love." For some reason, she could never allow herself to finish the line. The recorder shook his head helplessly, "You've got to be strong, this is the last line! Once this line is recorded, the album could be published officially." Ran was speechless, the recorder continued, "I'll give you sometime, let's continue tomorrow." With that he left, leaving Ran alone in the studio, tears streaming down her face.

"A-a-aishiteru, my lo-lo-lo..." She tried.

Shinichi dashed into the studio and smiled, there she was. He moved towards the recording room and placed one palm on the glass that separates the recording room with the rest of the studio.

"A-a-ai..." She looked up, there was someone there, but she didn't know who. There was a hand print on the glass, and a bit above that, a misty stain; someone was standing outside. But there was no one there.

"Shinichi...?" She whispered and moved towards the glass, touching the handprint. She must be tired, she told herself, having hallucinations, signs of her missing Shinichi too much. She exited the room and Shinichi stepped back from the glass, she place her own palm on the glass and felt what remained of the warmth. "Where are you Shinichi?" Ran asked solemnly.

"I'm right here, Ran!" Shinichi said, but Ran didn't hear him. She turned to leave the studio, and to Shinichi's horror, she walked right through him!

How could this be? He woke up seven months after the audition to find Ran on the way to stardom but everyone seems to be ignoring him! Images of the past swam through his mind: The car screeching, being carried onto the ambulance, having doctors and nurses surround him, and dashing out of Beika hospital.

Hospital?!

It can't be...can it? He isn't... dead?

But where to has my heart gone?
I cannot see even as I searched,
I think that I've lost something more than just you...

**l.e.a.f**

"Aishiteru..." Ran sang, "My lo-ove..." She finished soothingly. The crowd below cheered and camera lights flashed.

She picked up the microphone and spoke, the large picture with the words "Mouri Ran: Sweetheart" was behind her.

"I would like to thank all you audiences and media to be here at my album release to support me. The last song that I will perform today, well...I would like to perform it for a certain someone, a very important someone."

Shinichi stood below, in midst of the crowd, watching.

"Without him in my life," Ran continued. "Without his support and encouragements, there is no chance that I would be standing here, singing for you guys. This song is called 'Leaf.'"

"...But where has my heart gone?" Ran sang slowly as the song begins to end. "I cannot see even as I sear-ar-arched~, I think that I've... I've..., I think that I've lost something more than just, just, just you..." A loud sobbed was released along with the final word, camera lights flashed again, but the crowd, being sympathetic, stayed silent.

It hurts me too, Ran Shinichi thought.

. . . . . . Ran stood alone in the plaza, tired and wearied from the album release press. A red scarf wrapped around her neck--the Christmas present given to her by Shinichi oh, so long ago.

Unable to withstand the harshness of winter, the final leaf fell into Ran's palm. "Shinichi..."

Shinichi approached her and blew softly at the leaf, sending it flying, Ran's sight followed the leaf into the air as she felt a warm embrace.

Are you waiting for me? A single tear slid down her pale face. I'll always be here...

I think I've lost something more than you...

**l.e.a.f**e.n.d**

I almost cried several times while writing this, I think the music video was just so, so sad... Anyway, the music video and the song Leaf are copyrighted by its associates, all rights reserved. The song "Start In My Life" is copyrighted as well. Detective Conan and related characters and plotlines are copyrights of Gosho Aoyama. This fic took me two hours to write.