[March 14, 2008] [Detective Conan/Case Closed] True Love’s Folly

[ayaia-moon.livejournal.com]

Title: True Love’s Folly

Day/Theme: March 14: Remembering blue flowers

Series: Detective Conan/Case Closed

Character/Pairing: Shinichi/Ran

Rating: PG/K plus

 

Shinichi wasn’t sure what was going on anymore. They hadn’t really had a plan to start with. Just a determination. A determination to win this game once and for all.

Shinichi didn’t know what had started all the smoke. Was there a fire somewhere? He remembered blindly kicking with his super-shoes; something had happened after that. Something, somewhere, had broken. And now the whole place was coming down.

His shoulder ached. He remembered the gunshots. But wasn’t a gunshot wound supposed to…well…hurt a lot more than this? He started to cough. It was that damn smoke. It was filling the room quickly. Faster than he thought possible. Through the haze he made out a long-haired silhouette.

Gin…

Shinichi made to get up – when had he fallen down? – He realized that his legs wouldn’t support his weight. It probably had something to do with all that blood dripping down his arm. Blood loss made you weak. Right?

Shinichi wasn’t sure anymore…

 

He remembered Ran then. She couldn’t have been more than ten years old. She was explaining her newly acquired knowledge of horticulture. The four-o’clocks looked like morning glories, but they were different. The daisies looked like the black-eyed susans, but they were different too. The tiger lily was certainly prettier than any other flower – she liked the pattern in the petals, and the color didn’t hurt either – but the forget-me-not was definitely the flower with the best name.

“People usually plant them for a loved one who’s died,” she explained, showing him the simple blue clusters of blooms. “Isn’t that just sweet?”

“I like the spiky red ones better,” Shinichi teased, pointing to some flowers that kind of looked like morning glories, but with major differences.

“They’re called ‘Columbines.’ They’re from America,” Ran explained. “They’re not only red, they grow in purple, and white…”

“Well, I remember the red ones better.”

“Why’s that?”

“Red’s a better color.”

Ran had grinned. “I think so too. Maybe they should switch.”

“Yeah. Those blue flowers can be the ‘Columbines.’ Our red flowers are ‘forget-me-nots.’”

“So we’ll have to remember that. When you die, I’ll plant you a Columbine flower instead of a forget-me-not, and you’ll do the same thing for me, right?”

“Yeah.”

 

“Yeah,” Shinichi muttered, blinking. Where’d Gin go? He’d managed to get shakily to his feet. He turned, the motion making his head spin. A flash of black…the sound of running footsteps…

Gin fell to a heap in front of him. Shinichi fell back too; he was feeling shaky, and his legs weren’t cooperating…

 

“Wait…but what if I die first?” Ran had asked then. The realization seemed to worry her.

“Well, one of us has to die first, or else the other can’t buy the forget-me-nots.”

“Well, how about we buy them together when we’re really old. And then we can both die at the same time. Okay”

“I don’t know if that will work…”

 

“Kudo, why do I put up with you?”

“Heiji?”

“Who else would it be?”

“Wasn’t…wasn’t Gin here?”

“Yeah. You’re welcome.”

“And…wasn’t Ran here?”

“Kudo…Neechan’s at home. Remember?”

Heiji sounded concerned now.

“But…she was just here…we were talking about…Columbine flowers.”

“Those spiky ones?”

“Yeah…”

“Kudo…what happened to your shoulder?”

“Dunno…think I got shot…but it doesn’t hurt…”

Heiji swore under his breath. “Kudo…can you stand?”

“Sorta…”

 

“It will work, Shinichi!”

“Okay! Fine! It’ll work!”

 

“…baka…”

“Kudo? You okay?”

“…tell her she’s being stupid…”

“Tell who, Kudo?”

“Ran…”

“Kudo…Ran’s not here.”

“Tell her that…”

“Kudo, we’re gettin' you out of here…just hold tight.”

“D’you know what she thinks?”

“Who, Kudo?”

“Ran.”

“No. What does she think?”

“Forget-me-nots…she thinks they’re graveyard flowers…”

“Aren’t they?”

“No…”

“Kudo? I don’t think you should go to sleep. Kudo?”

 

Forget-me-nots are often thought of as graveyard flowers; they grow in clusters like weeds, and they need shade to survive instead of sunlight…But forget-me-nots don’t represent death at all.

 

“Kudo? Stay with me. What are the forget-me-nots if they aren’t graveyard flowers?”

“Forget-me-nots represent…true love.”

“So…that’s what Neechan was talkin’ about?”

“No…we were going to switch the forget-me-nots for the Columbines…”

“Those spiky ones?”

“Yeah…”

“Why?”

“I…don’t think…she knew…what Columbines…represent.”

“An’ what do Columbines represent?”

 

“Do you even know what Columbines represent at all?”

Ran reddened. “I can’t remember everything!”

 

Shinichi chuckled lightly.

“Kudo? What do they mean?”

“Craziness.”

Heiji let out a loud bout of laughter. Shinichi just slumped tiredly into Heiji’s back where the taller detective had been carting him.

 

“Now that I think on it…I think I should buy a Columbine for you when you die, Ran. It’s just…so perfect for you.”

“Fine! But I’m buying one for you too, don’t forget!”

“Fine!”

 

It’s funny though…for as many synonyms ‘crazy’ has, they can all be confused with ‘love…’ Shinichi decided at length, letting his thoughts drift away. He was just…so tired…

“Kudo? You with me?”

“…”

“Kudo, you know…if you die, Neechan’s gonna kill you.”

“…”

Heiji just trumped quickly away from the building that was quickly becoming nothing more than debris. He paused, though, to look back at the wreckage. He saw the distant silhouette that was Haibara keeping vigil by the only exit left. She stood at ready, wearing those damned shoes so she could kick the ever-living-crap out of anyone who tried to pass her.

Somehow…it suited her…

Heiji glanced over his shoulder at the still form on his back.

“I think we won, Kudo.”

“…”

“No no, don’t say anything.” Heiji grinned. “There just aren’t words.”

 

                                                          -O-

A U T H O R S   N O T E 

 

Hmmm….Ooh! I remember! ‘Kay, the Title, ‘True Love’s Folly,’ reminds me of something….that I can’t remember. So if it was someone else’s brilliant idea before it was mine, then Great minds think alike!

As it were, ‘Folly’ is another word for ‘Craziness’ so it was a clever play on words for my part! Score!

To see the meanings of a bunch of other flowers n’ stuff…here! Clicky!!

 

http : / / www . sweetscentsationscafe . com / flower – meanings . html

(except without the spaces.)

 

(grins evilly) Yessss. I shall rule the DC/CC world…one random fic at a time…

(inserts evil laugh)

~Ayaia