New, and hopefully only a dozen or less chapters long, fic I started for Conan's Birthday today ^_^

AN: This is Detective Conan meets a strange new phenomenon, taking place after the Bell Tree Express Arc with a mix of the supernatural elements. It is taking elements from the Midnighter's "Blue Hour" and the Persona "Dark Hour" and might also have some Dresden Files magical logic to explain some of what's going on. You need no prior knowledge of anything other than Detective Conan and the anime/manga up until that point. All previous events in Detective Conan remain the same.

...

Blue Nights

Chapter 1: First Night

Amuro turned as the door slammed, seeing a grenade. As he jumped away and the cars became uncoupled, he saw a figure in the smoke that was now trying to choke him. He coughed, unable to make out who it was. The wind blew hard, nothing stopping it now, and that face… He couldn't be sure that was who he thought it was, could it be?

Then there was an explosion and he turned back, seeing the cart that Sherry had been in explode. His eyes widened slightly larger, forcing him to wipe them a second later when dust entered them.

Just as unsure as he was at whom he'd just seen, now gone as he turned back, he couldn't be sure that there was a strange blue flash that seemed to emanate from the destroyed cart and swept over the train.

…

…

Conan hadn't gotten much sleep the next night. He knew Haibara was safe, though it seemed Akai-san had disappeared from the cabin for a bit, before he'd been able to reach him. Odds were he'd just been watching how things went, but then again, Conan couldn't be sure. Sera-san had shut up too quickly and gone home too fast, worrying him, but he hadn't been able to leave Ran to follow her back after they'd gone their separate ways.

Really though, none of that was the reason for his poor quality of sleep last night. If he dwelled on simple stuff like that like, he'd have made himself insane a long time ago.

What really kept him up were the nightmares.

Conan didn't usually dream, at all, and the fact that something as simple as a nightmare could shake him, bothered him. He'd had a few in his life, and they usually meant something really bad was about to happen. If he believed in that kind of foreshadowing though, he'd be crossing a line he wasn't willing to cross just yet.

Ran had made breakfast like always and he got himself out of bed, eating on autopilot and having to be reminded to grab his school bag as he opened the door and had been about to leave for school without it.

Even the walk to school felt like it was taking all his energy to get through, meeting Haibara on the way, and noticing that she looked just as tired as he did.

"Didn't get much sleep last night, did you? Don't worry, the organization shouldn't be after you any more after that."

"I know." The strawberry blond girl wiped her eyes, blinking her vision back into clarity. "I'd thank you for that if you hadn't put us in so much danger to do it."

"Gee, I'll make sure that there's absolutely no danger whatsoever next time I see them then."

The offbeat humor made her smile, though Conan hadn't been trying to do so. He yawned, his eyes lidded when he faced forward again.

"What about you? Up all night reading books again?"

Conan would have leveled his eyes at her if they weren't already half closed. "As if I could after the other day. No. I guess I just had nightmares." Nightmares about growling creatures made of shadow, wanting to eat him. It didn't take a genius to see where his mind had been going with that one.

"Nightmares. That's a first. And here I thought you weren't afraid of anything."

"Tsh. You know nightmares don't make any sense. They work off of primal, encompassing fears anyway- not even making sense all the time if they don't want to. It's not like I'm still dreaming."

"You're always dreaming. If I didn't know better, I'd say you are never truly awake. As far as normal, human fears go, I don't believe you have any."

Conan sighed again but he really wasn't ready to go fighting her on this stupid argument. He didn't get enough sleep to have the energy for it.

…

Conan found himself passed out on his desk around the time their third lesson just started. He was too tired to fight it anymore, and there really was no reason not to. The book was propped up in front of him well enough, and he'd learned these same lessons already.

Thankfully, neither the teacher nor the others woke him until the start of the lesson after, at least giving him the nap to work with through the rest of the day. Haibara, to his amazement, fell asleep as well, though it was during lunch, so no one fought her on it.

He put up with the others telling him how he really shouldn't sleep through class, Haibara snoozing away while he ate and did his best to ignore them. At some point he heard the whispered conversation turn inward, and something about what he and Haibara were doing the other day, but he didn't care enough to listen in to the rumors they were formulating.

The rest of the day he was tired, though in better spirits. He excused himself from playing with them after school on account that Haibara did it first and he'd rather get his homework done and sleep early tonight.

That wasn't going to happen as he walked in, greeting whoever was in the room as he opened the door, and nearly walking into Hattori.

He started up at him with bored eyes. "What are you doing here now?"

"Hey, that ain't no way ta great me." Hattori bent down, mussing up his hair and causing him to intensify his glare. "Heard there was somethin' wrong with that train ye were on the other day an' just wanted ta come over an' hear 'bout what happened. The school had some drainage issues so we got off fer the next few days fer them ta fix it up."

"So you simply had nothing else to do and came here." Conan could easily see that. If there was some way to entertain the Osakan long enough to keep him in his own turf, he'd be worried about the Kanto region. "Kazuha-chan didn't come with you this time?"

Hattori shook his head and waved a hand in front of his face. "Nah. She wanted ta, but I told her I was workin' on a case an' she'd get in the way. Kin I… Kin I talk ta ya for a bit? In private?"

Conan peeked around Hattori. It looked like the old man was fixated on the small television screen and Ran wasn't in the room, so it was very likely she was getting lunch ready. With Hattori now here, she'd either make more or split their portions. He was guessing the first so they'd have some time.

"Sure, why not?" He wanted to see what kind of case would get Hattori out here at a second's notice anyway. He went upstairs with him, putting his bag down and getting up on the old man's bed.

"So what's going on?"

Hattori sighed, scratching his cheek before lowering his hand and shoving both into his pockets. "This is gonna sound really weird ta ya. I know ya typically jus' wave me off an' stuff but… anythin' weird going on at night that'cha noticed? Somethin', maybe, that ya can't explain?"

Conan narrowed his eyes at Hattori and shook his head. "No, why? Is something going on around here?" He hadn't heard anything last night, and he had been up for a while some time around dawn when he couldn't sleep. There wasn't much that kept him out if it was obvious enough to get the other teen out here.

"Nah, nothing like that. Ah…" Hattori half sighed, half made a noise that better suited an animal. "I guess I just gotta wait ta tonight and see what happens. I thought that… We'll see. Sorry fer gettin' all weird on ya."

"Sure. It's fine." Conan got down, very confused. He hadn't seen Hattori at a loss for words much, and when he had, it typically had to do with Kazuha. "So, how long are you staying here?"

"The night, fer sure. I'm not sure after. Gonna see what's goin' on out here first. It's complicated."

"So you say." Conan was too tired to try and figure him out. He walked back out the door, wondering what all that was for, and went to sit at the table and wait for Ran to come out with the meal. The old man joined him before Hattori did, and he really became curious then. Not much could keep the dark skinned teen away from food, even his thoughts.

Hattori's curious behavior was enough, it seemed, to fend off immediate sleep after dinner.

"So, are you going to tell me why you're really here?"

"I said it'd wait ta tonight. I'm not sure if… if I saw it right. Ah, just hold up 'till then."

"Why tonight?"

"Because I gotta see somethin'. It's hard ta explain."

"Then explain it the easy way."

Hattori leveled a look at him that made Conan smile. "Ya like ta be difficult sometimes, don't ya?"

"Only when I have to be. Besides, there's not much that should make you come all the way out here. If it were really a case, you would have spoken to the old man as well. Since you're just freeloading off of us for no explainable reason and without Kazuha, I'd have to guess it's something dangerous."

"You could say that. Fine, the easy way then. I think yer gonna go outside tonight, and that maybe some black stray dog or cat thing is gonna getcha. There. Happy? It's not easy to describe but ya ain't goin' out that door without me, ya got it?"

Conan raised an eyebrow. "You think I'm just going to go outside, in the middle of the night, and get attacked by some strange animal?"

"Somethin' like that." Hattori took in and let out a breath. He put both hands harder than he needed to on the table as he got up. "I'm goin' ta bed. Remember what I said."

"Hai, hai." Conan shook his head but turned his attention back to the television in front of them. If Hattori wanted to go off making stories up, he'd just have to wait and watch the other teen to see what he was really up to.

He found himself falling asleep at the table. He hadn't done his homework at all, thought the assignments were simple enough. None of them were projects. He could get them done in the morning, before school, if he had to. He was too tired to do them right now.

"Ran-neechan, I'm going to bed."

"Okay, Conan-kun. You look really tired. Are you feeling well?"

Conan nodded. "I'm fine. I just stayed up kind of late last night." It was close enough to the truth and he didn't know what she'd do if he told her he had nightmares. With Hattori here, he didn't want to know how the other would react if she invited him in bed with her or anything.

"Get some rest then. I'll wake you for school."

"Thanks." Conan left, another yawn escaping him as he closed the door. He went upstairs to find Hattori already in the old man's room, though he was on his phone and awake on the bed.

"You're sleeping in here with us again, aren't you? You know he could lock you in the office if you wanted your own space."

"An' have ya get right passed me, when I came here ta make sure ya didn' do that? Not on yer life." Hattori spent a few more seconds on his phone before putting it away. "Are ya goin' ta bed already? It's a school night, but it's early."

"I didn't ask for your opinion." Conan went and got undressed, wishing Hattori would get his own room. It was bad enough sharing with the old man. He got the futon out, letting Hattori get his now. "If you're going to be up, can you leave the room or something?"

"Stop getting' annoyed. I'm goin' ta bed too. Had ta hop on the train pretty early ta get here, though I should'a just caught a later one."

"If you would just explain to me better why you're here, I wouldn't be so annoyed."

"I did explain." Hattori went to the closet as well, putting his bed next to Conan's and leaving enough room for occhan to get to his bed as well without stepping on them. "Yer the one that doesn't believe me."

"Right. Avoid rabid animals. Got it." Conan closed his eyes, half shaking his head and half burying it deeper into the pillow. "Night."

Hattori went over and flipped the switch for the light off before getting in his bed as well. "Night."

…

Conan jumped out of bed, his hands on either side of the pillow as he heard a really loud howl. He turned, looking at the closed door in the darkness. It almost sounded like it came from right on the other side.

"Thought so."

Conan spun, Hattori on one knee and watching him and the door, eyes flickering between both quick enough that Conan didn't think he would have been able to sit up much further without being grabbed.

"What is that?" Too afraid to lay back down and unsure if he wanted to move too much and make noise, Conan found himself in the same position as Hattori, watching the door.

"Not sure. I've been callin' 'em shadow creatures… kinda. I've never really had someone ta talk to 'bout 'em before. No one else could see them. First time I known 'em to come in a house too. I guess 'cause this ain't really a house."

There was some pawing noises at the door and Conan turned, Hattori grabbing him and pulling him back.

"Crud, I didn't think 'bout fightin' 'em. I only saw it outside. Don't think it kin get in here."

Conan's blood ran cold. "What about Ran?" he hissed under his breath. She usually left her door open at night.

"Don' worry. You're the only one I saw. Neechan should be fine. She didn't look half awake like you did, anyway, so I figure yer the only one that got bit."

"Bit? I didn't get bit by anything."

"Really?" Hattori looked down at him before the noises outside had him facing the door again. "That's weird. That's how it happened ta me. I was walking home one day late at night, and some cat freaked me out. I could swear it had red, glowin' eyes. Anyway, it bit me. Next thing I know, this is happening."

"This? What is this?" Conan tried to keep his voice down but he was very confused and something very large and, apparently, very determined, was on the other side of the door.

"Calm down. Don't freak out. Trust me. I was twelve when it happened to me and my parents had me in therapy fer months before I finally gave in an' said I was lyin'. It's…. kinda nice to know I'm not."

"Back to the sentimentally when you tell me what's going on and if that thing can get in."

"I… don't think it kin." The door budged at the corner, the wood creaking under the weight of something much stronger than it. "Then again, lets not stay ta find out."

They both went over to the window, Hattori opening it while Conan looked on in mild confusion. They were three stories up. There was no way they could just jump out the window.

Once open, Hattori decided to do just that though, climbing over threshold and hanging by his hands.

"What do you think you're doing?!" That was it. The world officially was going crazy around him or he was dreaming.

"Gettin' outta here unless ya want that thing ta eat us. Bet it don't feel too good. Get out here so I kin help ya."

If it was a dream, better go to with Hattori. The creaking behind him told him the door wasn't going to last much longer. He had to climb over the old man and that stopped him dead in his track. Occhan didn't seem to be breathing. He put his hand over him to check, assuring the fact that he indeed wasn't. "Hattori…"

"It's normal. I'll explain when we're not about ta be eaten." The teen's hand reached in the window, grabbing him off the bed and pulling him out to certain death as well. "Hold on ta me. I can't climb an' hold ya."

Conan held on tight, watching Hattori try to get to the edge of the building where there was a small foothold. He was crazy. This was something that Conan knew, even in his own body and with little reservations, he wouldn't try without a rope of some kind. "You're going to get us killed," he hissed from Hattori's back.

"Only if ya keep distracting me." They got to the ledge, barely, and it seemed that was all Hattori was going to try for as he let his foot slide off the building, his hand half catching the same ledge, and both of them landing hard on the ground.

"Ow, ow, ow," Hattori complained, holding his side. "Ya okay?"

"I think so." Conan got himself up off the ground, cleaning his hair of anything that might have gotten into it in the fall.

"Good." Hattori stood, looking around. "Yer place is pretty close ta here, isn't it?"

"Right next to the professor's." He'd never had reason to let Hattori in there before, and even less reason since Subaru had moved in.

"You lead the way then. If I tell ya ta do somethin' though, do it right away. I don't get much warnin' in this time." Hattori told him to go first but it was the taller of them that walked to the front of the house and looked around the area. Conan followed reluctantly, seeing nothing but the street in front of him.

"Do you think you can explain what's going on along the way? I'm very confused."

"Sure. I kin only explain what I guessed at though. Seems somethin' weird is goin' on. Never thought one would try so hard ta get in before." Hattori reached down and pushed Conan forward. "Get goin' then."

Conan did, not sure if he should run or not. Since Hattori didn't speed him along, he figured walking would be just fine. He tried to slow down, to get Hattori next to him. It didn't take him long to notice that, even though it was dark, he could see far better than he should have this late at night. Everything seemed to have some strange, blue hue of internal light to it.

"Explainin' now. Don't know what this is. Know I sat in my room fer a bit an' tried ta time it. Best I could tell ya is that it's about an hour an' no one kin move but me… Well, used to only be me. Everyone else ain't dead, they just ain't breathin' 'cause they ain't really here. It's like a separate world. Tried something out one time. I… I was a kid and confused, so don't judge me."

"I'm not. Hattori, look around you." Conan waved his hand. "I don't have much to judge when I seem just as crazy as you are."

That made the other laugh. "Guess yer right. Anyway, one night, just ta see if it did anything, I took a knife and I cut my mom. Just a little!" he defended right away. "On her finger. I just wanted ta see what would happen. I did the same ta myself. When time started again, cause that's the only think I can call it, her cut just vanished. Mine didn't. If ya can explain that, go fer it. I never understood it."

"Okay. So there's something weird going on. I doubt it's something otherworldly, because that makes little sense to me. If it's some strange fluctuation of time and space that our own planet creates, through some specific time or movement, that would make a little more sense. I don't tend towards science fiction or the theories out there, so I'd have to look more into this."

"You go ahead an' try ta explain it. Tell me when ya figure it out. Ya'll have plenty of time. This happens every night fer me. I'm not sure if it's the same for you. Usually, I just get another hour of sleep." Hattori took out his phone. "See? Nothin' turns on. I'm not like yer dad an' can just spend the time writin' on paper."

Conan turned at that. "Writing stays?"

Hattori tilted his head. "Yeah. I know that fer sure. I spent a few of the nights catching up on homework when something in the hour woke me."

"That's strange." Conan put a hand to his chin. "Writing stays, but is it because when you touch something here, it become a part of this time? Why would that not work the same for people or wounds though?"

"You really have ta let me finish talkin'. I don't care about all that little stuff. Reason it out later." Hattori pointed over his shoulder. "Ya didn't get ta see what that was, but it's pretty much an animal, but evil. I think. They like ta chase me if I try ta go anywhere. Check this out." Hattori stopped and pulled up his pant leg. There was a long claw mark, dark against his already dark skin. "I got that a few years ago. It's healed but it wasn't something pleasant ta wake up with. Still looks like it did years ago in this time though."

Conan winced. "Does it hurt?"

Hattori shook his head. "Not anymore anyway. That's why we had ta get out of there. Usually those things won't enter homes, but I guess yer place doesn't count as a home since it's half an office."

"Hmm." Conan put his hand back to his chin as they took off once more. "This is the first time I've ever had this happen-"

"I figured," Hattori cut in.

"But what caused it? What caused it for you as well? I doubt an animal bite would really do something like this. As for me, I haven't been hurt at all, so it leaves more to question."

Hattori sighed, half laughing. "Dunno, I'm just really happy I'm not the only one anymore. I always thought it was weird that I was. At one point, I actually thought I was going crazy." He patted his chest lightly. "Detective. That… I didn't start that 'cause I wanted the job at first. I just didn't want people thinkin'…"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me."

Hattori looked like he was going to before he paused, holding his hand up to his forehead for a moment.

Conan turned to him, confused as his friend seemed to be in sudden pain. There was a large growl, reminiscent of a tiger, which made him turn the other way instead.

He watched in fascination. The creature moved as a quadruped, but its feet didn't bend only one way. With its double-jointed knees, it took in a lot of ground very fast. He could see its somewhat feline body as it came charging at them. I must have had eyes, but he couldn't make it out, as all of its body seemed to be made of some dark, shadowy mist.

He was pulled out of his stupor, hard, as he felt an arm go around him and Hattori's loud footsteps start ringing out in the too quiet night, along with the sounds of the cat.

"Ya tryin' ta get eaten now?" he heard Hattori breath through the effort of running.

Conan looked back, seeing the big cat chasing them. He had no idea how Hattori was managing to keep ahead of it, but the margin between them was small, if not shrinking.

"You won't be able to outrun it," Conan stated dully, blaming his own lack of fear on the strangeness of it all.

"Yeah, well I ain't gonna roll over for it neither." Hattori went towards a building, turning any corner he came across to try and throw off the big cat. The few doors they came to Hattori would try for if the cat wasn't too close, finding them locked.

The older boy yelped when he was pulled back the way he had come. Conan had no choice but to be dragged back with him as Hattori hit the edge, where wall met window. Hattori fell back and Conan fell with him, being pulled inside a window that he heard shut just as they hit the floor.

"Shhh."

Feeling as if the world were moving at a different speed than him, Conan reached up and rubbed his head, trying to get to his knees and get his bearings back. He looked sideways at the person who pulled them in the window, glad it was a person. A lot of questions came to him after that.

"Amuro-san?"

"Shhh," the blond whispered again, raising a finger up to his lips as he looked up at the window, crouched behind the wall. "It's still here."

Conan shook his head, doubting he could see well out the window when he wasn't willing to cast his form against it. Conan would have called it a shadow but he didn't think there were shadows in this world anymore

He waited, Hattori staying still beside him. It wasn't until the tension in Amuro's shoulders vanished and the man let out a breath as he slumped against the wall did Conan turn back to Hattori. "What's going on?"

"Ya got me." Hattori sat up, smiling though. "Looks like I go ta find one a ya, an' I find two."

Conan looked between both of them, shaking his head. If he didn't understand this before, he certainly was failing to understand it now. "Wake me up when this nightmare ends."

"Afraid I can't do that. Ain't no way ya can stay with neechan anymore. They kin get in there." Hattori's attention turned to the blond man as he tipped his head. "You know this guy?"

"Amuro Tooru," Amuro said as he introduced himself verbally. "And, umm. What was that just now?"

"Great," Hattori snorted. "Here we go again."