Warnings: Spoilers, angst, written quickly, short, lack of spellcheck
Notes: Oneshot.

Immolate

immolate \IM-uh-layt\, transitive verb: 1. To sacrifice; to offer in sacrifice; to kill as a sacrificial victim. 2. To kill or destroy, often by fire.

He watched it burn.

Of all the ways for it to end, this was the way he had expected least. It had happened so quickly.

He had barely noticed the FBI's attack. He had barely heard Heiji's frantic announcement. He had barely made it here to watch the ashes of the organization hit the ground.

Police cars sped away carrying the lucky members and firefighters worked on putting out the flames.

It had only taken one small explosion and one small sacrifice.

No, that wasn't true.

It had required two sacrifices.

One very cold soul that had surely gained a trip to heaven with the bomb, and one man forced to live in his own past while everyone else moved ahead of him.

X

"Shinichi, you have a package."

It arrived the next day and he had almost expected it to contain a will. Some document saying she was sorry that she had done it without telling him, and that Mitsuhiko was to inherit her chemistry books.

It wasn't.

He had planned to tell Ran the truth that evening and see if she would accept him as he was. It apparently wouldn't be a problem now, because there was no will in the package.

Instead was the tiny pill that started it all.

He wasn't sure how she got it or managed to send it to him, but he was grateful. With this, he could be cured.

He could live on.

Agasa was mourning today. She had been like a daughter to him--he considered all the kids his own. The doorbell rang and the professor headed to it, expecting another sympathy flower delivery.

"Detective, if you already gave Mitsuhiko my books, I will not be pleased with you." The small girl, still alive, said as she casually walked into the room. She took the pills from Conan's hands and headed into the basement to make a cure.

Perhaps there had been no loss after all.

X