It was just early in the morning, and Celes is already awake, sitting under the shade of a tree by the river. Appreciating the scent of the roses around her.
"Good morning." Kishi greeted her, popping out from behind.
"Oh, good morning." Looking up, she greeted back.
With a smile, he walked around and sat beside her. "You're up early." He said.
"Yes, I'm just not used to wake up late." She replied. "Where's Kira?"
He turned to look at her in her question, before gazing at the calm water. Picking up a round and flat pebble, he threw it, making it skip over the water to the other side of the river.
"Kira's dealing with Airi since I can't."
She raised a brow in his statement. Looking at the blue sky she said, "You three sure are close, but...I don't know if I should tell you this, but he's obviously already dead inside."
Kishi frowned and hesitated to throw the next stone. Biting his lip, he skipped the stone as hard as he can and gazed at her.
"We've been told the very same thing multiple times now, but we won't give up on Airi, likewise he never gave up on us. We vowed that we'll always be there for him no matter what, and we will." With an elegant smile, "...what can I say, he's like a family to us. Or perhaps maybe because he is!" he said.
"What's the connection of the two of you with Airi anyway?" Celes wondered.
"He's our cousin." Kishi simply replied.
"He is?" She didn't expect that, but he nodded. "Well, you sure don't look alike, well...except for your eyes..."
"It's some complicated family matters that even I don't understand." He sighed. "Anyway...what's wrong?"
Celes was startled by the sudden question. "W-what do you mean?"
Looking at her ashen face, he stated. "You look pale. And weak."
Hearing what he said, she subconsciously touched her cheek. She really didn't feel very well, but she chose to hide it, and she actually thought that she's doing very well, but the boy is just way too perceptive.
"Err-really?" She avoided his gaze.
"Yes, really. So, what's wrong?" He repeated.
"N-nothing!" She tried to deny it at first, but she knew that she can't fool Kishi. Sighing, she begun to explain herself.
"I was having a head ache. My body's also hurting a lot. It feels like I'm being torn apart from the inside."
Kishi pondered for a short moment before he stated. "It must've been because, of your sudden exposure to the abundant magical energy here."
"Is it bad?" worried, she asked.
"Sometimes. But it's also because your body is not used to it. But don't worry, 'cause I can help you."
"Huh?!"
She was totally stunned when Kishi without a warning, suddenly kissed her. She was too shocked to even retaliate!
She wasn't able to fully recover when Kishi parted from her with a mischievous smile.
"Y-you!?" Irritated, she tried to slap him but he got out of her reach quickly.
"Nisan." Kira called out to her, diverting the attention of the two of them.
"Oh, right." He turned to Celes again and smirked. "Well, I gotta go!"
With that, he ran back towards the mansion. But he never forgot to first land a gentle kiss on his sister's forehead, and beaming gently and lovingly at her.
"That...DAMNED MISCHIEVOUS BRAT!!" She shouted in irritation.
Shifting her gaze from her brother to her, she told Celes. "Please don't say such things about nisan. In fact, my nisan is far too kind. You should be grateful. Do you know how much Sychi will scolded nisan later just because he decided to help you?"
"I'm not sure I understand what you mean." Celes said.
Sighing, Kira sat next to her and hugged her knees like a ball. As soon as she did, butterflies, birds and other animals landed on her.
"Since you don't know anything, I can't blame you. But I'll only say this once so listen well."
Kira begun to explain everything to her. "The lips of us sacred royals are valuable to us. With a kiss, we can heal anyone. But it also has a cost. It consumes our own health and was giving it to those we wanted to heal."
As Celes listened to her, she started to feel guilty. It's just that she can't understand why they were so kind to her, when she's nothing more than a stranger to them.
"That's why I 'am forbidden to kiss anyone other than my nisan. Sychi said I' am already weak and has no ability to heal others. But nisan was different, nisan is very amazing. Unlike the useless and weak me, nisan is very strong. He can do anything, while I can only read. He was also very smart that I'm completely nothing."
It seems Kira looks down at herself, thinking that Kishi is far superior than her just because he was born stronger and older than her. But Celes can see that he is not superior, nor she's weak. Kira is only proud of him as her brother, but she wasn't proud of herself. Kishi on the other hand, loved her so dearly that he probably didn't care about himself much if it weren't for her to always worry about him. The two of them are so dependent toward each other that it wouldn't be good if the two of them were separated.
"...but Sychi told nisan that he shouldn't heal anyone anymore, not even me because he is also starting to get weak. It's also probably because of me. It's just that I'm so weak that nisan helps me a lot by sharing his own strength. I'm really such a burden."
Having enough with her already, Celes told her. "Kira, you shouldn't blame yourself. Kishi did not always help you because you asked, he helped you because he wanted to. There's no reason to blame yourself about it!"
And besides, he needs her as much as she needs him! Why can't they understand that?!
"It's because nisan is way too kind. He was so selfless that all he did was for someone else. If it weren't for Sychi telling him not to, he would not hesitate to help anyone."
More like because of Kira herself! It's because she cares and worries about him, that he tries his best not to cause anxiety to his dear sister!
Honestly, she can't understand them at all. Because of that, she wondered how Airi was able to put up with the two of them. 'Cause it was definitely harder that it seems.
Celes remembered her telling that Sychi always scold them. Curiosity sure is uncontrollable.
"Who's Sychi? Your mother?"
"No. Sychi's our guardian." Kira replied.
"Oh, is that so? Then where are your parents?" She asked.
With an empty smile, looked down and fiddled with the small vines. "We don't have parents. Airi's father died just a month ago, and his mom perished not too long ago."
Celes immediately felt sympathetic at same time guilty after hearing about it. "Sorry I asked..."
"It's alright, you don't have to worry about it."
It was a great wonder how mere children like the three of them are able to survive in this cruel world on their own. They are also high ranking and rule over great and vast lands that it is so hard to imagine that they were able to maintain everything in perfect order.
She might have hated the riches, but these children were just so...different. She knew with all herself that they were all powerful, yet they are not arrogant enough to actually step over other people. Though she had to admit, they were cocky and arrogant sometimes, but they were still kind. They did not view at people based on their ranks, nor is there any discrimination in their eyes as long as none provoked them too.
With a sigh, she can't help but stare at her.
Kira jolted up all of a sudden, making all the creatures that surround her fly away. "Oh my! Sorry sister, but I have to leave, nisan is waiting for me."