Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All rights to respective owners.

A/N: Well here we are and now it's Mako's storyline! I know I bit more with her and this may be even more depressing than Rei's but I equaled it out with the end. This took longer cuz well, I don't write Makoto often so I'm sorry if I didn't really throw that much character into it cuz well, I'm still practicing after all! So give me some creative space and just let my mind splatter some ideas since, like I've said, these are characters we really haven't heard from so I experimented and maybe it paid off? Well you can be the judge of that! Review and tell me what you thought! I always love hearing your thoughts!

Also HUGE shoutout to all the reviews such as CassieRaven and Tina Century for your words and thoughts! And thank you to the three guests as well for their opinions because my god do I depend on your guy's reviews!


"...And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

- Anais Nin

Blossom

She carefully cut the stems off the flowers, shortening them to a more desired length. Lining them up to appear more neat, Makoto slipped them into the clear cylinder vase she had bought on one of her recent shopping trips.

Vibrant, alive roses they were, and her most favorite.

Makoto softly brushed her fingers against the velvet pink petals, marveling at the smoothness of each one.

"You see Makoto. Roses, they're the most beautiful flower in my expert opinion."

She precisely snipped off a piece of red ribbon.

"Why are they the most beautiful Daddy?"

Curling her finger to push through the end, she pulled the two loops to create the perfect red bow on the glass vase.

"They're beautiful Makoto because of what they represent."

With a black marker, Makoto softly wrote down a message in the snow white card.

"What do they mean?"

She gently closed the card.

"They can mean many things but I think the meanings that are the most important to know are that they mean promise and hope…."

A teardrop hit the granite countertop.

"..and then the thorns it has symbolizes protection but loss. The rose is a beautiful creature with its gentle petals of warm colors but with its thorns, many misjudge it and think dangerous of it."

She quickly swiped at the next falling tear.

"It's like you Makoto. You're a beautiful girl with so much love and happiness but sometimes people will go based off of your thorns."

"What am I supposed to do then Daddy?"

"You embrace your thorns and protect yourself as well as others you care for."

"I will," the teen whispered to an empty apartment, a quiet promise said to silence.

"Oh you two. Hana-san, stop teaching our daughter all about plants and let's eat some of my homemade cake that took me hours to make?"

The man took note of his wife's whining tone and laughed. "We can't miss your cake sweetie, even if we tried. Come on Makoto."

The lingering conversation replayed in her head a few times more, stroking the petals all the while with glossy eyes.

Nearly seven years later and these special kinds of days still tore mercilessly at her withered heart. So many years that she endured without her father's insightful wisdom or her mother's infectious joy and laughter, certain aspects she never truly savored when she was barely the age of ten.

Perhaps, it is the little things you miss, the ones you never notice until they no longer are there. A simple flower even brought on such emotion due to past events. Even visits to the graves were becoming unbearable because of the magical floral pieces that seemed to always appear and curl and encircle the engraved stones of her parents.

Time dwindling, the tall brunette grasped the glass vase in hand, slipping the card between two stems of the ravishing bouquet of flowers, and with a glance thrown to the nearby mirror where she inspected her soft pink A-line dress, she headed out the apartment door. After all, it was a special day and there was a special person to visit on such a day.


"Makoto," the small elderly man behind the counter greeted with a wrinkly wide smile, "What do I owe the pleasure of seeing you on a stunning day like this?"

As she fully stepped into the shop, the blast of cool AC refreshed her from the grueling summer heat and the intoxicatingly but familiar smell of fresh flowers assaulted her senses beautifully.

She could still visualize and reminisce of the times her younger, jubilant self would run around the floral shop stuffing her face with the addicting scents of primrose, lavender lilacs, blushing roses, and sweet honeysuckle while deep chuckles would echo. The excitement that would fill her round eyes when her father would let her pick out a batch of his shop's flowers to take home to her mother, the careful selection that always followed, inspecting and determining the best chosen flower type that would be worthy of the woman that gave birth to her.

Such fond memories in a little bare space full of colorful foliage.

"Hi Mr. Hachi," Makoto finally greeted back as she strode over with the rose-filled vase to the glass counter at the back. "And don't you know it's Father's Day?"

His gray brows knitted in an adorable confused look with his deep wrinkles, "Well I know it's Father's Day but why does that-"

"Because I'm honoring you for that very reason." With the end of that statement, the senshi of thunder gingerly set down the bouquet of utter beauty on the clean surface in front of the elderly man's sparkling eyes. "I need to honor those who I see as father figures, that's you."

"Makoto-san," he whispered with his lips trembling and eyes glossy with unspilled tears. "Thank you." Mr. Hachi looked up to the tall girl and a smile spilt at the corners of his mouth as his eyes shut at the action.

"I-I chose the roses b-because they mean so much," the girl's voice was hitched as she spoke, "Like promise and hope but the thorns-"

"-represent the protectiveness and loss," Mr. Hachi finished with a sad smile, "I remember your father's wisdom more than my own sometimes."

"So do I," she responded looking at the frail man with a fondness and pride.

After her parents death, the close friend of her father selfishly took on owning the abandoned flower shop that many in the city visited frequently. He took in a small orphaned girl, letting her become apart of his son's own family until she grew into her own independency and assisted in living on her own, making something out of herself at such a young age of 13.

His signature adorned such emancipation papers, leases, school papers, transfer scripts, banknotes, anything that she needed a guardian sign-off was his name. An elderly, sweet man who was fighting a bad knee, took a mere orphan with long limbs and a tendency to become defensive, under his broken wing and made her who she was when she had lost all sense of self after that fateful plane crash.

He gave her what every child in her situation craved and was deprived of: a family and the blessing of a smile. And she did, she smiled and laughed and grew warm within the Hachi household. They were ones who had drilled into her hard armor and gazed past the tall intimidating statue of a lost girl and instead saw the girl who just wanted to protect and care.

"What," Makoto questioned with a hint of confusion and concern when she spotted those twinkling blue eyes staring at her in complete pride and awe.

His mouth opened and closed, finding the right words and memories. "It's just - I remember the day when I came in and I saw your father and it was right after you were born..," he paused as laugh lines appeared all around his mouth, a wide reminiscent smile coming forth into view, "He was grinning like a mad man and saying how beautiful his little girl was and how he knew, just by looking at you, that you would blossom into a strong young girl, a beautiful rose he would say."

Makoto smirked, amused at the reminder that her father used to always use flowers in every analogy he concocted, spilling on and on about how her mother's braided hair would twist and turn like stems and had flecks of deep red in resemblance to Stargazer Lilies. In turn, her mother would comment how the floral-obsessed man had dark hair so rough and coarse that it was no wonder why it stood up like a porcupine's hide.

"He always brought it back to flowers," she chided playfully.

"Well he was right." Her wide eyes flew to Mr. Hachi's kind ones, "You became more than he could ever hope for in a daughter Makoto-san. Sure you've had your bumps with some people but, you blossomed through your thorns. You no longer are a mere rose though, he would be so proud."

The tears pricked again in the corners but she grinned through it. "Thank you Mr. Hachi," the clock behind the small man caught her emerald hue, "Oh I should get going. Your son has probably planned a whole celebration for you with the family."

She took a glance once more to her loud surroundings - ones that she still knew like the back of her hand such as the little cove you can hide in that was located in the back or the loose floorboard near the main window display where some abandoned rotting candies ought to be from her younger years. Her childhood still stood strong and remained in this small but meaningful space. "I'll see you Mr. Hachi."

"Wait Makoto!"

The brunette guardian whirled around to face him again, her ponytail swishing. "Yes?"

"Would you- would you like to join us," he asked with a hopeful face, "Both of my grandchildren will be there as well as Akio and you would provide no intrusion I swear."

The thunder senshi deliberated the invite but her heart beat her into submission. It would be heartbreaking to spend the rest of the day moping around her apartment while the other girls were celebrating the day, one that she too could celebrate in some form. So she smiled and unclenched her tight fingers that were damp with sweat and nerves. "I would love too."


"Now don't get too excited-"

"You bought me a present Daddy!"

"It's a modest gift and something that I knew you would love." The man was just barely able to contain his wide grin as he shook the small box in front of the small girl and placed it delicately in the palms of her tiny hands. "Go ahead."

The eight-year-old had to restrain herself from tearing it open. "They're so beautiful!"

"I knew that you would love them! Go to Mommy and let her put them on you."

The child ran to the kitchen, pulling the flowered apron and pleading her mother to do the task. The brown-haired father stood up from his kneeling position and strode over to the steaming kitchen where he found his ponytailed daughter attempting to stay still while his exhausted but smiling wife placed them in.

Finally, Makoto twirled around, her skirt fanning around her taller body and the most joyful and wide smile a lit on her chubby features as she proudly presented to her father the new set of shiny rose earrings that adorned her small earlobes, ones that were twinkling as the sunlight caught them and the rosebuds in full blossom on her ears. Slews of 'thank you' and 'I swear to not beat up the annoying neighbor's kid again' followed along with the long held promise that she would forever keep the jewelry pieces close to her heart forever.


Short? Sappy? Well sue me guys! I tried to experiment with the other senshi so bring mercy on me. Please review and tell me your thoughts and stay tuned cuz guess who's next?: the tsukinos!