8 A Wonderful Memory?

*The Flower Maiden's POV*

"いらっしゃいませ (Irasshaimase)!"

A warm welcome echoed throughout the restaurant as the chefs and wait staff greeted us. A waiter walked swiftly towards us, his scaled lizard tail skillfully avoiding the tables and chairs. He greeted us with a welcoming smile, revealing his forked tongue as it slithered out. His slit pupil eyes widened at the sight of Mokuren.

"Mokuren-sama! It is a pleasure to behold your presence."

The other wait staff and chef politely bowed before Mokuren as well as some other customers here already. She bowed back and gave a mature smile.

"Please, you do not have to be so formal, today we are here as your humble customers."

"If only people can treat me with some respect like that, unlike a certain someone."

Kyuu-san joked, of course, directed to none other than me.

"If you weren't such a ruffian and so mean towards the little girl then maybe you can."

The snide remark quickly shot down Kyuu-san as she gave out a defeated laugh. Justice is served. The waiter guided us towards a wooden table and we took our seats as I sat next to Kyuu-san. The interior of the restaurant was quite large with bamboo walls, lanterns, and wooden architecture. I saw several woven fabrics with intricate and weird art on them.

"Hey, Mokuren-san? What are those weird paintings?"

"They aren't weird kid, if anything you're the weirdo here."

"Kyuu-san, stop belittling her. Those are Kaiga, also called Gadō, they are an ancient and highly refined visual art here."

Ohhh… so that's what they are. They still look kind of weird though.

"May I take your orders Mokuren-sama and her lovely friends?"

I turned my head to only see some floating menus… what? The menus then drifted on towards our table, settling down in front of us each respectively. With the menus out of the way, a little fairy now appeared, her fluttering wings gently keeping her afloat.

"Ahhh! You're so cute!"

I wanted to hold her close when I felt Kyuu-san's stares bore in the back of my head. Ehehe... I'll hold back.

"Hey! No touching policy! Especially the kids… always the kids wanting to grab me."

The little fairy hugged her body close protectively, her glimmering pink eyes and furrowed eyebrows trying to look mad. She wore a green waitress outfit and a tie around her fluffy pink hair. A name tag hung on her chest, a little too big for her that read: Lilium. Mokuren responded back with a melting smile.

"Well, who could resist someone so adorable and cute."

The little fairy blushed as her face exploded in pink quickly putting her hands covering her face. Kyuu-san rolled her eyes at Mokuren.

"Mokuren-sama, nothing can compare to your beauty! Ahh uhhh… do you have any drinks in mind?"

"Thank you for your compliment, I'll have a glass of water"

"Me too. Hey brat, want something to drink? You can choose any drink, Mokuren's paying up anyways."

"How mean, capitalizing on my kindness."

Mokuren toyed with Kyuu-san, her cheeks pouting playfully. Kyuu-san smirked revealing her canines and replied back with a confident, snide remark.

"Hey you said it."

I scanned over the menu for a drink… so many to choose from. I see this dark violet-purple drink with a lily flower for decoration, pretty. It was under a section called Sake. What is the drink's name… Ah! Here.

"I'll have Midnight Passion please."

"Oi that's an alcohol kid... also mixed in with some aphrodisiac... wait, hang on why is this even served?"

Kyuu-san had a puzzled complexion while Mokuren had a little chuckle to herself. Aphrodisiac, wonder what that does? Does it make the drink extra tasty or something?

"Quite the bold choice little girl. Miss Lilium, can you make it without alcohol and aphrodisiac?"

"Sure no problem, please take your time ordering!"

The fairy hurriedly flew off with her face still blushing. Kyuu-san and Mokuren continued looking at the menus since I gave up having been overwhelmed by so many choices without knowing what any of them are. All I know is that they all look really delicious. Miss Lilium came back to take our orders, this time regaining her pose though her face still had a pink hue every time she made eye contact with Mokuren.

Our drinks also came with Miss Lilium's visit. I stared at my glass of violet-purple liquid, occasionally swirling it around with a straw. The lily flower for decoration looked really pretty and delicious... so I ate it.

"Hey! Don't eat the decoration, doesn't it even taste good?"

"Hmmm... taste pretty good, mildly sweet and earthy."

Kyuu-san looked at me with emotions somewhere between disappointment and confusion but she decided not to say anything, perhaps a little used to my antics. Midnight Passion tasted sweet as well, a smooth and cool liquid mixed with an almost euphoric feeling. I really wonder what it would have really tasted like with alcohol and aphrodisiac?

We sat around waiting for our orders to come while I sat drinking, lightly swinging my legs since it couldn't really touch the floor. I watched the chefs expertly cut pieces of fish meat into slices open for us to see. One of them was a girl with orange hair and ponytails... with fins and slightly cyan skin... Jacky? She caught my eyes and grinned. With a friendly voice, she hollered out to us.

"Hey y'all! Nice to meet ya fellows again, let me make it up to the lil girl with my sashimi making skills."

Jacky gave me a wink and threw a piece of fish in the air, using her webbed hands with claws, she diced the piece mid-air with precision, landing down in a neat pile of slices. Not a single mishappen slice... woah. Mokuren thanked her as well as Kyuu-san.

"Huh... so she works here. Didn't see her on the way here though."

We sat around waiting for our orders to come, I'm still staring at Jacky's awesome display of slicing. Mokuren then broke the silence.

"So Kyui, why did you bring the little girl to see my mother?"

Kyuu-san glanced around quickly before answering.

"It's a bit complicated… here, try to detect her energy."

"I can't sense anything because of the force field you put up, what do you mean?"

"Concentrate a bit more."

Mokuren's mouth gaped slightly after staring at me for a little while… do I look weird or something?

"What? How? Why does she have Primordial essence in her?!"

Mokuren stood up, her hands almost slamming the table. The people quickly turned to her before she quickly sat down again with flustered movement. Kyuu-san put up her hands, gesturing to her to calm down. Primordial essence?

"Mokuren hold off your questions until we meet with your mother ok? I'm not too worried but let's wait."

"Not too worried?! Are you kidding me? This is the Primordial essence we are talking about! Powers that no being nor god just has or can attain! How does she have it? Why? So young!"

Mokuren whispered loudly, seemingly trying to scold Kyuu-san.

"I know, I have a lot of questions and some theories as well. I'm sure your mother might have better explanations too, I don't have much of an input on such a subject."

Mokuren leaned back into her chair her fingers resting on the side of the face in question. She narrowed her curious eyes at me.

"Are you from the Prometheus clan? An unknown god? What's your name?"

Her bombardment of questions left me speechless but I felt nervous under her probing stare.

"I don't know… I don't have a name either."

"Mokuren stop, she doesn't know anything as far as I can tell."

Her eyes were still suspicious of me. But she relaxed a bit after seeing me look down at the table in nervousness.

"Sorry, I let my excitement take over a bit, it's just… so well, exciting! Never in history have we recorded something like this! I'm dying to know! I have never heard of someone like you from my mother either."

"I thought so, even a bookworm like you probably don't know."

Mokuren seemed to ponder about something before speaking with a hint of confidence as if she discovered some secret.

"Well, well, well... speaking of my mother, I got a feeling she may have something to do with this, perhaps that's what her meeting is about."

Confirming Mokuren's suspicions, Kyuu-san continued her thoughts.

"I had that suspicion too, so it's best we have your mother's input here. Though with how your mother even kept you in the dark, I'm not sure how much she'll tell us."

The statement was taken as a challenge to Mokuren, her star eyes morphed into invigorated flames.

"You think so? I'm not letting her get away with such a discovery."

To top off that enthusiasm, right after Mokuren declared her investigation, the little fairy flew back with floating plates and bounteous containers of food.

"Here's your order, please enjoy!"

She carefully set down the food with the simple movement of her fingers, each plate, and food item set down neatly on our table. She then gave me a quick side scowl before bowing politely and flying away.

"We'll save this conversation for when she returns, how dare she keep such interesting secrets from me?"

Kyuu-san and Mokuren politely clasped their hands together.

"Itadakimasu."

We then began eating. Unfortunately, there were only chopsticks, so I kind of resorted… to using my hands. I reached my hand out to plop one roll into my mouth. Mokuren looked amused at my action while Kyuu-san looked dismayed.

"Use the chopstick you idiot! Uhhh, this is embarrassing."

I gave her an innocent look.

"But I don't know how to use chopsticks, and you'll just complain if I do. Something like 'don't make a mess meh meh meh.'"

"You little..."

"I wouldn't say that's inaccurate to your reactions."

Mokuren joined in on my teasing, honestly, I might've not had the guts to do it if she wasn't here. I had to get back at Kyuu-san somehow. Kyuu-san paused for a moment, in troubling deep thought. Seemingly arriving at a conclusion, her forehead had some visible frustration lines.

"Fine, fine! Here I'll pick up what you want for you... and... I'll feed you… just point to the things you want ok?"

"Really? Thanks, Kyuu-san."

"I just don't want to be embarrassed or anything alright? Don't expect this kind of kindness from me anywhere."

The combination of fish, sauce, and various vegetables! All wrapped in rice and seaweed! Such deliciousness! Sushi and sashimi are so good! And so pretty too. The plates looked like my geta for some reason with wooden plates with beautiful decorations. There was a wooden plate shaped in the form of a bridge with each step a new array of mouth-watering sushi. While Kyuu-san helped get me some food I was practicing my chopstick skills. I finally managed to pick up a leaf and took a bite… yuck. Maybe I shouldn't eat the decorations.

"Here, another sashimi."

"Ahhhh..."

Kyuu-san promptly stuck the sashimi in my gaping mouth... yum. The savory soy sauce and smooth texture slid in my mouth and down my throat. Kyuu-san lips were pursed and eyebrows twitching slightly.

"This... this has become even more embarrassing damn it! What am I? A personal maid?! Hey! Mokuren you better not be taking any pictures or videos of this!"

"Oops... caught red-handed."

Mokuren gave a sly smile. Mokuren's matrix cube floated next to her. The cube had a lens looking piece pointed at us.

"I have to admit Kyui, never seen you be so kind before... what happened to your stoic personality?"

Mokuren continued to tease Kyuu-san to no end, her face getting redder and redder. But, she didn't stop feeding me. I also noticed that Kyuu-san and Mokuren dipped their sushi and sashimi in soy sauce mixed with a purple substance.

"Hey Kyuu-san what's the purple stuff?"

Kyuu-san's tired and annoyed eyes after so much teasing seemed to gleam with mischief.

"Oh it's sweet and kind of like ice cream."

"Ice cream?!"

"Hey wait flower girl, Kyui's tricking you!"

I immediately used my chopsticks to scoop a big chuck and put it in my mouth… it BUURRNSS!!! What is this?! Tears started coming out my eyes as my entire mouth burned, it felt like my face was both ice cold and burning at the same time! I jumped up and down on my seat almost falling off as I held my face in despair.

"Pffftt… Hahahaha!"

Kyuu-san was holding her stomach laughing at my suffering while Mokuren helplessly looked on, but even she couldn't hold in a snicker here and there. I drank my entire glass of Midnight Passion but it wasn't enough. But Mokuren handed me a glass of water and I gulped the entire glass down. Finally, the sensation started to dull. Jacky came swinging by with a cup of milk to save me which completely removed the burning in my mouth.

"Before I thought I was making the poor girly sad and here are y'all bullying her what's with that?"

Jacky gave my head a quick pat before going back.

Kyuu-san you Baka! I started hitting my fists on Kyuu-san's arms, holding back my strength though hard enough to exact my anger!

"Ow! Ow! Ow! I get it, I get it. Damn, you are stronger than I thought. Here have this as an apology brat. Though I say you deserved it."

She passed me some more sashimi, my favorite! I'm not forgiving you though! Mokuren also gave me some of her share of sashimi as if she felt guilty for not saving me in time.

"What happened to not being embarrassed Kyui?"

The stares of several customers and staff were on us the whole scene. Wiping a tear away from her eye, Kyuu-san said with undeserving pride.

"It was all worth it."

We finished our meal and another waiter came by to take our plates.

"Gochisousama."

I said it this time with Kyuu-san and Mokuren, apparently, it meant to say thank you for the food and those who made it of which I was happy to oblige. But should I have really been grateful for this meal? I'll never touch wasabi again.

Mokuren took several silver coins engraved with intricate symbols on them and placed them neatly on the table of which the waiter happily accepted. Mokuren stood and turned to Kyuu-san.

"So what's next? Still haven't sensed my mother come back yet."

"Got to get some flyers to hand out for the dojo, trying to attract some new recruits or students."

They both got up while I was still seated. I was about to ask what dojo Kyuu-san was talking about when I sensed a massive… no, overwhelming source of the strange energy I have. It was much more than what the Magami Aura possessed. It had an absolute presence, a will. But, it was calm, collected, almost soothing. I stood up slowly, my senses kicking into high gear, despite the non-threatening feeling of the presence, I couldn't help but get agitated and slightly scared. It was all so sudden and new. I jumped out of my seat and landed on all fours slightly crouching defensively, my eyes darting around and ears perked.

"What's wrong?"

Kyuu-san asked a bit more seriously. It was right outside of this restaurant. Through the window, I saw a pillar of silver, crystalline light. A soft, humming sound accompanying the pillar of light. I saw the Dobos tilt their heads up from their naps and eagerly walked towards it.

Mokuren must have sensed it too, as well as Kyuu-san because not soon after did they also take notice, although they showed no signs of alarm, but rather relief. Mokuren looked at the pillar of light, one hand to her waist.

"Well look who returned from her not so secret meeting, and to us too, convenient."

Mokuren turned to me excitedly and offered a hand, her smile ever so bright and warm. Her lax demeanor helped relax my nerves a bit as I hugged her arm for comfort.

A consoling, luscious voice resounded softly in my mind. A faint, entrancing echo following each of the voice's syllables.

"I've been expecting you, little flower maiden. I'm sorry I wasn't here to greet you when you arrived."

It instantly relieved me of any fear or anxiety I've had. But it wasn't Mokuren's voice. I looked up to Mokuren, she had a knowing smile as if she knew what I heard. Her majestic antlers shimmering slightly.

"You're about to meet my mother flower girl, Goddess Myriam."