Flowers Made from Kisses
By: Katalinia

Disclaimer: Ya got one guess.


Emerade walked quietly through the palace gardens. She loved this place most out of everything in Cephiro. Everyone that saw it thought that they were a reflection of her very soul.
It was here that she had received her first kiss from her one true love: Zagato.

*Flashback*

Six-year-old Emerade sat on one of the many stone benches in the palace gardens. It was quiet there since it was outside of the palace where her baby brother, Ferio, was resting. Everyone admitted that he was cuter then a button, but, damn, was he ever loud! Every time he cried, Clef would mutter that he'd be a troublemaker; it was written in those golden eyes of his.
Emerade was just about to stretch out on the bench and take a nap when someone cleared their throat behind her.
She turned around and saw Zagato (who's seven). He was just staring at her for a minute before asking if he could have a seat next to her. Emerade, of course, said yes to her crush. As he sat next to her, she did her best not to blush, but didn't think that it worked.
"Are you alright, Himeko?" Zagato asked her, using the title everyone used as a nickname.
"Hai. I'm just tired, I guess." Emerade replied.
"I know. Nobody likes Ferio's cry for a midnight snake. Of course, that wakes Lantis up and ^he^ starts crying, so I'm not asleep again for awhile."
Emerade smiled slightly, then looked up and said: "I'm sorry."
Zagato smiled back at her and replied: "Don't be. You can't help his feeding schedule. Besides, everyone thinks that he's cute enough to make up for it."
For a while after that, the two kids just sat there, looking into each other's eyes. Neither really knew why, but they leaned together and kissed. It was just one butterfly kiss, but the bond that sprang from it would last into forever.
Almost as if to prove this, the long-dead rose bush behind the two glowed faintly. As Emerade and Zagato walked back to the palace, a single bud appeared and grew into a perfect rose in full bloom. The petals were all tow-toned: the ones furthest from the center to about halfway in were silver rimmed and outlined in black, and the rest were gold trimmed with silver.

*End Flashback*

Emerade stopped in front of the rose bush. Now, it was covered in roses. Before she became pillar, she and Zagato would meet there as often as they could and create more roses. After she became pillar and Zagato the High Priest, they had stopped meeting. It was both because they were busy and because they feared for Cephiro's safety.
Emerade sighed. It was so hard, pushing Zagato out of her mind. Especially when Clef knew. He had a habit of bringing it up at inopportune times. She and Innova often wondered if he was testing her or if he just had the worst timing in all of Cephiro, Autozam, Chizeta, and Fahran.
Just then, someone wrapped strong arms around her waist. She turned in surprise, than smiled when she saw Zagato. He leaned down and kissed her, and another rose bloomed.
"Zagato, you really shouldn't do that." Emerade said, but it was gently and happily.
"Please, Eme-chan. Just this one time, let us made our beautiful roses." Zagato said, holding her close but loosely.
Emerade smiled, knowing she could never say 'no' to him. She looked up at him lovingly and said: "Whatever you wish, dear Zagato."
They stood there for a while, the rose bush becoming prettier with every kiss. It is said that Cephiro was never more beautiful or peaceful then in those few moments.

****

As Emerade's final wish was granted and she was reunited with her true love, and the bright flash of light sent the Magic Knights back to their worlds and the Mashin to their sleeping dimension, the beautiful rose bush took on an ethereal glow and became a crystal palace; a safe place for all the inhabitants of Cephiro to survive in.

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This is probably one of the shortest things I've ever written. I really loved this one. How 'bout you?

~~Katalinia~~