*Sura's POV*
*ring ding ling*
"Welcome!! If it isn't my little mascot! Ready for another lesson?"
Saraswati eagerly clacks towards the door just as I opened it. It really is a bit lonely here isn't it? I couldn't help but feel bad for Miss super nice spider lady, if only everyone else saw her the way I do. Her legs stiffened with a sudden series of cracks as she saw mom behind me.
"Oh! Are you her guardian?! My apologies for my behavior!"
She chitters suddenly and tapes her mouth shut with her hands as she turns away.
"Sorry!"
Puzzled, I ask Saraswati.
"Are you ok Ms. Spider?"
She leans down cautiously at me.
"I'm just a bit nervous, I never had anyone properly come into the store, much less an adult!! It was easier talking to you since you're… well… you! Everybody just usually runs away from me, I got used to it!!"
I give her a thumbs up, nodding to help her. Then I gaze up at mom.
"...Mom, Ms. Spider here is super nervous and that's why she can't help but act strange!"
"Ah!! Why would you straight up tell her!!?"
Saraswati clasps her head in embarrassment as her pale cheeks show a pale green, shaking her head like a pinball machine. Mom walks up to her.
"Hehe, it's fine, Ms…?"
The set of eyes on her forehead squinted open.
"...Sa-Saraswati."
"It's fine, Ms. Saraswati. I'm Sura's guardian, it's nice to meet you. And don't worry, when I was young, I was nervous too. I could barely meet the eyes of anyone who wanted to talk to me, much less greet them myself. You are brave for trying to do so, alone by yourself here."
Slumped on the ground in shame, Saraswasti was finally at a height reachable for mom. Mom put forth her hand onto her head, and gave a soft pat. Saraswasti flinches, nearly flinching at the unfamiliar sensation of warmth and touch.
"There there, it's a beautiful guitar store you have. Frankly, no one here really knows how to play or much about guitars. But I know a thing or two hehe."
Slowly uncovering her arms, Saraswati whispers with elated hope.
"You… thank you."
Regaining her composure, Saraswasti bounces back up to her energetic state.
"Now where were we?! Right! Sura! Today we'll practice and learn some more about string bending and sliding."
Swinging the guitar case with glee around to my chest, I give a firm salute.
"Yes!"
But before doing so, I show mom around the awesome store! She watches me go from shelf to shelf pointing at all the cool guitars with exaggerating arm waves. As my lesson with Ms. Saraswati was about to start, so I tried to usher Mom away.
"You have to go mom!"
"Why? I wanna listen to you!"
I push Mom's back to the doorway as she giggles.
"Cause I wanna surprise you with what I learned!"
"Oh fine fine, I need to make sure Kyui is safe and sound, and then some groceries. I'll come back and wait outside for you ok?"
The D note slides effortlessly, crescendoing to a C, intensified by vibrato as the electrifying note rings in the quiet store. Even with her hard chitin like fingers, Saraswati's rifts play smoothly.
"Your finger needs to remain at a steady pressure and pace upon the string as you slide, ending in a vibrato when you land."
Following her moves and feeling the cold touch of the metal strings, my finger slides down across the D string while lifting without interrupting the note, to C with a gentle pinch harmonic with a hair-standing pick.
"Incredible! You already know how to slide and bending… even a bit of harmonics on your own. Are you sure you have never played guitar before?"
"I don't think so. This is my first time!"
"... huh. Hehe, wanna try playing that song? I Miss You?"
"Ready!"
"Alright! Let's go!"
"And a 1, 2, and 3!"
With 3 taps of her legs on the floor, Sarawasti signals me as I amplify the room with a deep bass rhythm with my guitar.
Bopping my head and swaying my body to the rhythm, we played a riveting guitar song Sarawasti shared with me.
"A company, always on the run. A Destiny! Oh! It's the Rising Suuun!! I was born, a shotgun in my hands!! Behind the gun!! I'll make my Final stand!!"
Biting her lips, Sarawasti hammers the guitar as she uses all four arms to play, as she smiles free of all the scared looks she gets, free of the anxiety she always had.
"And that's why they call me!! Baaaad Company!!"
I transfer a bit of my own Saffron energy into it producing a shrieking growl making Saraswati twitch uncontrollably.
"Kraaaa--tch--aaa!!"
"Sorry!"
I quickly muffle my sound by pressing onto the strings altogether. Saraswati sporadic motions finally stop as she looks at me in bewilderment.
"Geez… perhaps we must work on that heh. How much energy did you put into that string?! Hahaha!"
"Bweh! Sorry, I got too excited!"
Playing more, I spend the rest of time playing together. Sometimes I noticed some people staring in the commotion, their curiosity defeating their initial fear at the sight of Saraswati. And I see mom!
"So munchkin, how was practice? Want to show me how much you've progressed? Hehe."
I wag my finger at mom with the practice guitar on my back.
"Nuh uh uh! It's a surprise hehe! I'll show you tonight!"
I waved to Saraswati when we left, noticing that some people were actually walking up to her store to her panicked face, but beneath it, she couldn't help showing a little smile doing her best not to open her mandibles as she mouthed "thank you", to me.
The roads became more and more crowded as people came together as if to observe fireworks, looking in expectation behind me up into the sky as if to wait for what it will behold. A girl with tanooki puffy tails and burglar eyes ran past.
"Come on! They're about to come back around this time!"
Followed by her choo choo train of young siblings, tailing her. What is everybody waiting for?
At first, I thought it was some weird background noise, but my pointy ears soon picked up on a low hum that tremered almost in undulating waves, swelling to a peak, then gradually falling. Then more, similar humans picked up, each their own unique pitch, converged with small chirps.
Then… came the first graceful, echoing roar as I turned to the sky behind me. Mom smiled.
"Hehe, I almost forgot it's the season for them to migrate back."
A simmer, a cascade of prisma colored wings in pairs of 3 each, undulated like waves, working as one to carry the serpents across the ocean sky. They drew the starry blanket over the setting day with their presence.
"Amazing… who or what are they called?"
"Crystacie Kireinas. Native to the surrounding floating mountains and islands. They migrate in seasons, and come back to their birth place… I have an idea munchkin~"
Leading me with her hands, I follow mom towards the gate to Heiwa? What are we doing here? Mom looks up at the Magami Aura tree, as those Crystacie… Kire…inas. The name is too long! Pretty dragons! Flew and landed on the top of the tree and many to the floating islands and some carried large containers under them. Wonder what they're for?
"Ohari, Sura… are you planning to leave? It's getting dark, be careful."
Goddess Myriam's voice asks us in our head.
"Just for a bit, to go somewhere special."
A brief moment of mysterious silence passes between Mom and Goddess Myriam, hey are they talking about something I can't hear?
"Ahem, very well, at least let me guide you with two of my guardians."
Could it be?! My hope was confirmed as branches surged out of the ground, heaping together into a great lion figure.
"Xata! Blair!"
I quickly hugged them as best I could and pet them.
"Hello little flower, you have grown. Hop on."
The emerald orbs in their rib cages orbit together in a rhythm like heartbeats. Trotting on the grass, we entered the forest that laid around Heiwa, leaving our cozy town.
Upon entering, it suddenly became much darker, only eerie sparses of the rising moon made through the foliage. But I can feel it… so much life essence dancing in the night.
A small chirping and blinking insect flew by me, then more, then more! Until a swirling trail of glowing insects circled around us in curiosity, blooming in patterns under the dainty moon light to impress us.
With a little growl, Xata scares away the insects as they quickly swirl away and regroup for safety. Xata's rib cage trembles in a laugh.
"Xata, that wasn't very nice."
With a groaning grumble, Xata whines at mom. Some trees bore bioluminescent fruits, and around us lay night flowers, their petals waning like the blue, round moon itself.
"So pretty!"
"Isn't it? I sometimes take walks in the night through these forests. We let children play too but we don't want to get lost or be late for dinner hehe."
A misty veil of rain begins to sprinkle on us as we reach a large small winding lake. Dotted with people sized lily pads and lotus flowers. Showering us from above, is the distant waterfall of one of the floating islands.
Towering above me…
"Mom, how does such a large land float?"
"Haha, well I'm not an expert but, partly due to large concentrations of magnetic minerals underneath it."
"Woah… awesome!"
A column spiraling helix of vines winded it's way up to the island. Wait… we could-
"Climb up there!!"
I roll off Xata onto the dewy grass, feeling the grass once again with my bare feet. The getas can go away!
"Yes sweetie, though it is a long way up. I was gonna ask Xata and Blair to help us up… munchkin?"
I didn't quite hear what mom said before I was sprinting up the large vines towards the island. The green moss on the vines were a little slippery, but the bark of the vines were sturdy. The air gets a little bit colder as I race towards the clouds as the wind pushes against my ascent and the world opens up to me.
The top of the Magami Aura in all it's sage luminant leaves waving in the wind for me to go on. Being this high up, really brings to me just how expansive Magami Aura and Heiwa is. This little haven of light that I imagine could be seen from space. And the guardian tree that shelters all its citizens and people.
"Wai-*huff* Wait up! Munchkin!"
Oh wait, Mom! Struggling to keep up, she was a bit ways behind me. My petals grab onto the vine to secure my footing as I move towards her.
Together, carefully treading on the massive vine bridges. The free flow of whistling wind past our faces of cool air as the clouds grow closer and closer above us.
"Land ahoy!"
I leap onto the island finally to a beautiful oasis of a large lake with it's own waterfall that dripped from the surrounding rock formation and mountains that peaked into the clouds.
The waterfall trails off from the floating island and mountain, from a delicate fall to evaporating to a mystical mist, showering the forest below with clean dews of water into the winding lake we had been before.
At the oasis, folding their crystalline wings, are the Crystacie Kireinas (綺麗な). With a deep cooing, it's jaw opens to slurp on the water with a long, silvery proboscis. Some were, nudging the flowers, who upon acknowledging the Crystacie Kireina, revealed it's refractive moon light petals and stem, drinking sweet silverine nectar with their long thin tongues.
They moaned at our presence, their prism eyes showing intelligence, allowing us to stay peacefully. A smaller dragon approached us, cooing a little.
"Awww!"
I give it a pat on the heat and it nudges me, pushing me a little with it's large weight.
"Hehehe!"
Sitting near the lake, with our feet dangling over the edge of the island, I lean against mom.
*Strum~*
Mom? She took out my guitar and started playing as she smiled at me. We spent the evening, playing songs together and swaying together to the music we created together.
And I finally got to show mom what I've learned so far. Earning snuggles and claps for the song I and Sarawasti before performed. Even the little crystal dragons joined us as they moaned in harmony to our music, it seems they enjoyed it.
The little orbs of light in Heiwa rose like little specks in the distance, rising higher and higher like a pillar of soft light into the night sky, surrounded by mystical plant spires and lovely forestry, all under the tender watch of the Magami Aura.
"Hey Mom?"
"Yes Sweetie?"
"I had a dream that I remembered for once, and it's not scary this time… I think I… saw a really pretty lady in it, She had a lot of arms! And beautiful golden and blue eyes with horns!"
Mom stops playing with a little gasp. And my head on her lap, I feel a sudden jump in her heart beat.
"What's wrong?"
"No-no, nothing. Say sweetie, did this… beautiful lady have six arms? Tall, with a serpent tail?"
"Yes! How did you know? Do you know her?!"
"Well… hehe sort of, she's part of the Prometheus clan."
Prometheus clan? Sitting up, puzzled and deep in thought.
"But I don't even know anything about the Prometheus clan. Why did I have a dream of her?"
I perked up to mom with sparkling eyes, hoping to get answers. Maybe she knows something about me! About who I am and what I am? I mean, dreams have to mean something right? But for a mere moment, mom's eyes look away.
"Sweetie, it's a bit late, how about we head back now? I'm sorry, I don't have all the answers."
"Darn…"
I can't help but feel a bit let down, a soft hand ruffles my hair.
"You know, Sura-chan. There was also a certain someone who loved to play music just like you… long, long ago."
"Who?!"
I curiously asked.
"Hehe, who knows!"
"Eh! Tell me!"
I nudged her with my head in retaliation. Then I got a brilliant idea for revenge. I pick mom up suddenly with both arms.
"Sweetie?"
Looking down over the island, the lake is directly beneath us… perfect. With a grin, I tread back… before sprinting towards the edge.
"Munchkin!! What are you- WAAHH!!!"
Free-falling through the air, trails of cold mist as we burst through the waterfall,
"Wahaha!!!"
I scream with mom as I extend my petals into a parachute, slowing our big splash into the lake below. Standing and gasping, fur matted and hair over her face, Mom spits out a water lily in her mouth.
She looked like an upset water monster hehe, who turned to me with a stern look… eh.
"Oh you munchkin!! Come here!"
"Hehehe!!"
She hugs me and spins me around in the water as we get out of the lake. Now a bit cold due to us being drenched, we prepare to go home to take a nice warm shower! Looking up from where we fell, Mom sighs,
"How nostalgic…"
We stop by the memorial as we walk on the path back, running bare feet on the grass again. I greet all the flowers when I hatched, and smelling the blissful pollinated air. As I come to the hill again... I notice a bundle of flowers there... they're Prometheus flowers, interlaced with deep ocean blue Iris and Forget-Me-Nots. I wonder who put them there.
"Come on Sura-chan! Or else Kyui might go hungry without me cooking!"
I roll down the hill, enjoying every sensation as I had before hehe.
"Coming!"
"Geez you got grass and dirt all over your dress again munchkin!"