This story branches off from chapters 75-81 of my fic Curiosity Made the Cat (CMTC as I shall be calling it). Specifically, about 3/4 of the way through chapter 81.

If you do not want to read it, it is fairly summarized here and is decently straightforward, though you may still be confused.

Welcome to my halloween AU of my crack AU, my friends.

xXx

In Asian cultures, four is considered incredibly bad luck, considering the similarity in its pronunciation to death across multiple languages.

To say this story begins oddly is an understatement. Firstly, this tale does not begin at the true beginning; of course, to start at Shinichi's birth would be absurd, but perhaps to start at the moment at which his life became nine would be a good start— that is to say, he became a cat due to an absurd, clearly dysfunctional poison.

Now, Shinichi didn't believe in the whole nine lives thing, but he was aware of the odds of surviving something so likely to kill him without a trace, so to some extent he simply nodded, moved along, and continued to be a detective in his own body, leading to numerous shenanigans revolving around widespread belief of a certain cat as a chaos spirit— but ah, let us not get lost in summary, for there is one other oddity of our beginning, and that is that it begins with death.

Shinichi himself encountered death many times, so perhaps it is not odd to consider that yet another tale in his life has the first chapter of somebody passing. But ah, Shinichi himself didn't die often. Not at all, actually, considering the obvious.

Hence why this beginning is odd indeed, considering it did begin with his death.

Sort of.

xXx

A knife glints under the dark new moon, the other hand holding a spray of minty poison.

Insane, Shinichi quantifies. This lady thinks I'm a bakeneko and she's going to air freshener me to death.

In another universe, things go different and Shinichi escapes scathed and alive. But with the dark eye of the moon staring down at him from a skylight, something different happened; Shinichi did writhe away, scrambled towards the lit lantern that ominously sits further down the table.

Unfortunately, the woman takes aim with the can, aerosol immediately flaming.

In this life, Shinichi's final words are oh shit as he is caught mid charge.

The lantern glows blue and the moon winks darkly, and that is all he knows before dimness.

xXx

...for the moment.

One life has ended, another started.

And the first words he heard are a sassy yet confused and worried, "glad you weren't caught in that, singed fur is a bad look."

Shinichi squints luminous eyes open to meet green ones set in a tan face. He blinks. Behind Heiji is a fire and siren lights.

Staring into the lit-by-embers blue, Heiji continues, "it was the janitor, eh?" At Kudo's concerned mouth-open, twisting of his muzzle, he cuts off— "yes, she made it out."

The detective frowns towards the flames. "They dragged her out, and found you with her." He glances at Shinichi. "I'm seriously not sure how you made it without burning," he says with a frown, then brightens— "but yanno what they say about gift horses."

Shinichi shrugs blandly, and closes his eyes, drained.

"What payment for helpin' ya," Heiji whuffs a chuckle as Shinichi blanks out again.

xXx

Later— Shinichi is unsure how much, enough that the sun is up— he blinks awake again. He looks down to find a junky little cat bed, looks to the side to see Heiji flipping through a book.

"Ellery Queen," Kudo jests hoarsely, laughing sarcasm. Then he blinks— he hadn't been wearing his bowtie translating his speech before this. He puts a paw to his neck, expecting someone to have outfitted him with it in his sleep, but finds nothing.

Heiji blinks at him, huffing dully at the joke, before surprised comprehension settles on his face as well. "Wait— yer' not—" he stutters.

"Did Agasa make the new translator smaller?" Shinichi awkwardly laughs, taken aback.

"Uh, no. He finished it, but we were waiting for you to wake up," Heiji explains, dangling the collar in his hands demonstratively.

Shinichi again places a paw to his throat, whispers words. No meows undertone it; his ordinary voice comes from the mouth of a cat. "This doesn't make any sense," he says blankly.

"The— the vocal chords and boxes—" Heiji gestures wildly. "—It wouldn't work," he reiterates.

"I must be dreaming," both detectives say simultaneously, then blink at each other.

"I mean, nothing changed," Heiji iterates— "what woulda caused ya to suddenly be able to speak?"

"Nothing," Shinichi agrees. "I'm going to sleep until I wake up," he grits.

"But I'm the one dreaming," Hattori insists.

Shinichi glares. "You do that too, then," he deadpans, settling back down on his pillowy bed.

In his dreams, there is blue fire and a black eye.

xXx

Only half an hour later, Heiji jostles him awake .

"Come back with coffee," Kudo groans.

"It didn't work," Heiji hisses. "Ya just started yellin' normally," he informs.

"So you're not in my dream and I'm not in yours and this is real?" Shinichi clarifies, shock startling him awake as good as coffee.

"Unless I'm still dreaming," Heiji says.

"Or I'm still dreaming and you're in my dream and you're just—"

"This is confusing," Hattori cuts off his hysterical rambling. "I think we can just assume it's real."

"But it doesn't make any sense," Shinichi reiterates harshly. Demonstratively, he punctuates his words with a hiss.

"To Agasa!" Heiji calls, holding a hand up in huzzah.

Shinichi rolls his eyes, but still echoes, "to Agasa," in agreement.

And so they go.

xXx

Agasa's initial reaction is simple, pure shock.

Demonstrating the uncanny ability, Shinichi simply opened his mouth and pointed it out rather than lay any groundwork— "hey, I can talk without wearing the bowtie, and that's definitely not right. Please run tests."

Blunt, to the point. Typical Kudo.

After checking it was no prank— no call on a phone, no hidden translator, the like— Agasa stepped back with widened eyes and nodded wordlessly.

And so now, here they were, staring at x-ray scans that showed… nothing, really. Nothing abnormal, that is.

"This," Agasa pointed out to the scan on the right, "is an image of a normal cat's neck with its vocal chords." He pointed to the second, practically identical image, and said, "Shinichi, these are yours." The image changed as Agasa pulled up clearly distinct human vocal chords. "It's clear yours don't resemble these," he pointed out.

"So how?" Shinichi groused, talking in his seemingly impossible voice.

Agasa just spluttered, throwing his hands in the air ultimately in a gesture of who knows. "Your mouth shouldn't even be able to form the sounds."

Experimentally, Shinichi coiled his tongue around several words, paying attention to the way his jaw moved, the way his tongue touched his teeth, the lack of lips, and he frowned.

"My words don't get formed by my mouth," he pointed out, intentionally dragging each syllable out, exaggerating the mismatch effect.

"What the…" Hattori trailed off, frowning. "This makes no sense," he said, as was apparently their theme of the day.

A lull of confused silence reigned.

"Maybe we just shouldn't look this gift horse in the mouth, either?" Heiji concluded weakly.

"You can't tell me you're not curious," Kudo wheedled. He paused. "Don't say it," the cat groused as Heiji cracked a grin at the obvious follow up phrase. "Don't."

(It didn't matter anyways, really. Curiosity had already done away with him.)

xXx

It took the rest of the day of vigorous research and testing that ultimately left them more confused than ever for Heiji to begin to consider anything… supernatural.

He of course believed in such, unlike Kudo— but he also believed in science, believed in proving what was there if possible.

But he also considered the reports of the lady's rituals within; white cats previously slain there at some twisted idea of bakenekos and evil, ritual objects abound… and a black cat, laying in the midst of blue flames and coiled around the lantern that started the fire, dark moon perfectly framed above the scene from the window.

Heiji really didn't like questioning his survival, but how did Kudo not get the least bit burned? Not even singed at all?

But Heiji… Heiji needed proof to really think that. As much as the mystical could be proven.

A phone call.

"Hey, Ran-san, what were the tests you used to determine if uh, Conan was a bakeneko or nekomata or whatever? I think I may have one—" he said into the phone, only half-pretending to be nervy. Indeed, Ran had used supernatural tests to falsely conclude the human-turned-cat was supernatural the first time— but perhaps Heiji could perform them without the faults Kudo reported to him in a snickering voice.

"Oh! I used uh, some holy stuff— you can take them, I should still have all that— and ah, a lantern, and a salt circle." She paused. "Guess you could test it with the moon, too."

"The moon?" Hattori questioned.

"Well, they get power from it, so I guess you could watch it— but if it's evil…" she trailed.

"Got it," Heiji nodded, feigning seriousness.

xXx

It took but a day to gather various materials for tests— omamori, holy water, salt, and a lantern. Heiji knew he had to remain more discreet than Ran had, considering Kudo had jokingly played along with some or been confused enough to accidentally indicate a positive with her.

He started simple, simply lacing Kazuha's keepsake Omamori around his neck before waltzing in to greet Agasa and Kudo.

"Whoa," he said, eyeing the cat. "You look bad."

"There's no explanation," Shinichi murmured from the back of a couch. "None!"

"Why don't you just not—"

Kudo cut him off— "this could mean something bad! It could mean parts of me are somehow becoming human again!" He paused. "Even if it's still not anatomically possible, considering the scans," he murmured in a trailing tack on

Hattori blinked. "Isn't that good?"

"Not if my heart gets big and the rest of me doesn't, or something!" Shinichi hissed.

Heiji edged closer to the tense, haggard cat. "Freaking out isn't gonna' do much," he huffed, flopping on the couch Shinichi was sat on.

The reaction was instant on a shoulder brush with the cat's paw— Kudo's spine shuddered as though he'd been electrified, and he whipped his paw away.

"Don't shock me," he groused.

Heiji blinked, accepting that as a fair excuse with a shrug. Test, though. Repeat.

So he poked him again, keeping his finger there a moment longer. The cat flung itself back with a yelp. Hattori felt a bit bad.

"Are you sure it's not the other way around?" Heiji lied weakly, pulling away carefully, not wanting a third trial.

The cat opened his eyes, and Heiji blinked at the luminous, glowing blue contained within them. "I don't know," Kudo grumbled, ears flicking. Unaware.

Heiji inched away nervously, discreetly drawing off the omamori while watching Kudo's eyes fade as the cat settled back down.

One last try.

Omamori stored in the couch, Heiji reached out for his friend's shoulder blades. Shinichi gave him a weird look at his hesitance and for doing so in the first place, but Hattori gave a gentle stroke of silken fur.

Calm, painless. Proven.

Before Kudo could snap a what are you doing, Heiji explained, "ya look tense, man. Chill."

"Heiji, I don't know what's happening to me," Kudo hissed, voice cracking in an all too human way for looking like it came out of a dubbed over cat's mouth.

Heiji frowned. He couldn't imagine a statement of I think I might with an explanation of you're magic, Kudo, to be particularly well taken. He said nothing.

xXx

The second test was just… assurance, really.

A lamp, placed on the counter, lantern oil within. Heiji sat at the table, eating lunch, trap primed and waiting for the cat who would soon come and do the same.

When Kudo did walk through the door, he paused at the threshold and sniffed the air with eyes closed.

"Something smells good," he commented, voice dull, almost trance-like.

Without saying anything more, the cat drunkenly stalked over a few more steps, long tail furling and unfurling hypnotically. Clearly entranced, Kudo mindlessly hopped on the counter, then took a deep whiff and exhaled a content sigh.

He opened his eyes to reveal a bright glow before bending down to lap—

Hattori rushed over, snatching the lantern up with a nervous laugh.

Pathetically, Kudo leaned after it, pawing at his chest.

"Give," he moaned, standing up and stretching a paw out towards the lantern that Heiji held up high.

"Uh, no," Heiji answered, weirded out— before Kudo did anything, he whirled around to dump the lamp oil down the drain.

Hattori wheeled around again to see Kudo with conflict and confusion written on his face, previously bright flashlight-eyes dimming, no longer intense. "What…?" he trailed, tail lashing, ears pinning and paw coming up to his skull as though he had a migraine.

"I think yer' magic, Kudo," Heiji blurted.

Kudo blinked. "What?"

"Uh," Hattori enunciated, frowning. "I was supposed to wait— until—"

He was cut off by laughter. "Heiji, I'm sure there's a rational explanation," he deadpanned.

While Kudo rolled his eyes, Heiji snatched his omamori from the table, and tossed it in his direction. It skittered on the counter, sliding to a stop within Shinichi's reach.

Kudo stiffened, frowned at it. "There's a rational explanation," he hissed, body shuddering— but he didn't move, in denial of the pain.

"Touch it, then," Heiji dared abruptly.

"Rational explanation," Shinichi repeated shakily, shuffling forward, whole body straining and quivering.

He didn't reach the charm itself before he yowled and collapsed— worried, Heiji snapped it away, tossing it.

"It was just— some kind of—" Kudo started, stuttery and shaky.

"Magic," Heiji supplied, filling it in.

"Electric— magnetism— or something, or—" Kudo continued over him.

"Magic," Heiji repeated. "Kudo, how'd I touch and wear that thing no problem, yet ya react like that? The lantern made you act weird, what about that? How'd you escape the fire when ya were right where it started? How did you get your voice back?" Heiji paused at Kudo's working mouth before steamrolling on— "that lady used freaking magic rituals relating to magic cats."

"None of that stuff exists, Hattori," Kudo insisted, but still eyed the omamori across the counter warily.

"You need me ta fill the lantern again?" Heiji groused, dangling it.

Kudo hissed and spat. "You're just filling it with— cat drugs or something," he concluded sloppily. "All of this can be explained."

"Mm," Heiji hummed, backing off. "Sure," he sighed, plopping a hand on the cat.

"Don't patronize me!" Shinichi snapped, ducking out of the way of his hand.

Hattori met angrily glowing eyes, and sighed. "Just look at yerself in the mirror."

Kudo blinked, eyes fading. "What?"

Demonstratively, Heiji tipped out his phone, bringing the camera app up.

"Uh," Hattori paused. "Get angry," he instructed weakly.

"Get angry?" Shinichi repeated incredulously, voice going echoey and distorted faintly. "I can't just get angry on command," he barbedly deadpanned, the continued, "and why are you being so damn vague—"

"Got it," Heiji nodded, tapping the stop recording button. He flicked the phone around, wasily playing the short clip that showed off a cat with a messy voice and glowing eyes.

"That's just corruption and the reflective lens all cats have," Shinichi groused at the obvious glow. "There's an explanation for everything, and I'm going to find it all."

Heiji whuffed. "Talk to me when you want it," he groused, kicking off from the table. "I've got school to go to," he sighed sourly.

"Bye," Shinichi hissed frustratedly.

And Heiji walked away, first to know and believe of Shinichi Kudo's death.