//------------------------------// // Fast Food And Learning // Story: Lilligold and Mizuko's Neighponese Tale // by Razalon The Lizardman //------------------------------// While waiting for Lilligold to arrive with their food, Mizuko busied herself brainstorming ideas on what to do after she finished escorting Lilligold to the cherry blossom orchard. Rumors of the unexplored cave system at Ebishima housing multitudes of ebikakuteru sounded interesting. If nothing else, it’d be fresh ground for pearl diving. While she brainstormed, Hoseki-san’s words kept replaying in her mind, about how life was never boring with foreigners around. Mizuko certainly didn’t disagree with that assessment. Seeing Lilligold be surprised that Neighpon did, in fact, have a Hayburgers did give her a small thrill. Calls for experienced divers weren’t all-too fleeting, however, so it was just a matter of time until she could experience the thrill of exploring new underwater terrain, or hauling up some long lost treasure from the depths, or refuting claims of conspiracy theorists that the Forgotten Underwater Kelpie City exists and is still waiting to be discovered. Until then, for today at least, she could experience the thrill of educating an ignorant foreigner on Neighponese society and customs. She continued brainstorming until Lilligold arrived with their food held in her telekinesis. She sat down across from Mizuko, setting her saddlebag next to her before placing their food on the table and passing Mizuko’s change to her. “See? I’m not totally helpless.” Mizuko smiled, taking her change and placing the coins in her bag. “I suppose not,” she replied simply. Lilligold took their respective orders out of the bag and passed Mizuko her Burger Bites. Mizuko took the basket in her hooves and licked her lips in savory anticipation. Burger Bites were second only to wasabi rice balls for her taste buds. She could never eat a whole burger, not like foreigners could with their seemingly bottomless stomachs, but the little bite-sized variant she could take in just fine. Sticking her hoof on a toothpick, she brought the Bite up to her mouth and popped it in. She hummed with satisfaction as the delicious flavors settled in her mouth, before swallowing and taking a sip of her drink. She was about to reach for another Bite when she spotted Lilligold looking with a confused expression down at her Combo Deluxe. Mizuko frowned. “Is something wrong, Lilligold?” she asked. Lilligold looked up from her burger to Mizuko. “I asked the cashier not to put pickles on my burger.” She tilted the burger so Mizuko could see the pickle slices set upon the veggie patty. “I could’ve sworn my Neighponese was pretty clear.” Mizuko’s eyes widened. “You asked her to change your order?” Lilligold frowned. “Was I not supposed to?” Mizuko sighed, placing her Bite down and tapping her chin in thought. She recalled that foreigners seemed to operate under a different mindset in regards to customer satisfaction. There was a saying for it, even. “'The customer is always right’... Ponies on the mainland operate under that belief, correct?” Lilligold nodded. “In general, yes.” “Don’t expect to find a similar treatment here. Typically in Neighpon, you only get what’s on the menu, exactly how it’s advertised.” Only after she said that did Mizuko realize her words could easily be misconstrued. Looking at Lilligold’s downcast expression backed up her fear. “But it’s not because they don’t care about satisfying you. They aren’t used to pon–” Click The sudden noise gave both mares a start, Mizuko simply jumping a little while Lilligold practically buried herself in the seat’s backrest, shaking like a frozen leaf. They turned just in time to see a little colt and filly, the former having a camera around his neck, giggling at the two of them before running off down the aisle of booths. Upon settling down, Mizuko just sighed and turned back to Lilligold. “As I was saying, they aren’t used to ponies asking them to change up orders. They’ve gotten so complacent with it that they can’t bring themselves to make a change when one is asked of them.” A corner of her mouth lifted, forming a nervous half smile. “I imagine the cashier was really stressed out by you asking for her to change your order.” “Oh, well…” Lilligold trailed off, setting her burger on the table before casting her gaze downward. “Listen, it’s okay.” Mizuko reached across the table and patted her withers, to which she glanced up. “Don’t worry about it. Really, it’s my fault for not remembering to warn you.” “... Okay.” Lilligold sat up straight again. “You’re right. And I’ll listen to whatever you have to tell me from now on.” Mizuko nodded. “Good to hear.” She picked up her Burger Bite. “Now let’s finish up here so you can see those cherry blossoms.” Lilligold’s lips lifted into a small smile and she nodded. “Okay.” She then proceeded to take the pickles off of her burger with her telekinesis, letting them hover in the air above the table while she reached into the bag with her hooves. “Need a napkin– Wait, what the…?” “Is something wrong?” Mizuko asked. Lilligold gave Mizuko a curious stare as she pulled out, to the other mare’s surprise, another Burger Bites container. That threw Mizuko for a loop, as duplicate orders weren’t the type of mistake fast food restaurants made from her, admittedly limited, experience. All the same, she very clearly asked for a single Burger Bites, and there wasn’t anypony else in line that could’ve ordered another– Her thoughts were interrupted when the container burst into a plume of white smoke, causing Lilligold to shriek and lose concentration on her telekinesis, making the pickles drop onto the table, while Mizuko’s heart skipped a few beats. The smoke began to dissipate after a few seconds, to which a new figure took shape within. It was long, slender, and even through a face-obscuring curtain of smoke, managed to convey a strong sense of charisma just through its presence. Finally the smoke cleared, revealing the newcomer to the two mares as being a brown fox wearing a headband with ‘使者’ engraved in the center, and holding a wax-sealed scroll in its mouth. While Lilligold could only stare at the fox in shocked confusion, Mizuko was awestruck by the sight of what she recognized to be one of Inari-sama’s kitsune servants. A messenger kitsune, as the kanji on its headband indicated it to be. It dropped the scroll on the table before turning around and leaping over Mizuko’s head and the booth, to which the sounds of startled restaurant patrons were soon to follow. Finding her voice again, Lilligold looked to Mizuko and asked, ““What was that?” “That was one of Inari-sama’s kitsune servants.” Mizuko glanced to the scroll it left behind. The idea that Inari-sama had a message for them surprised her greatly, but whatever it was must’ve been very important to warrant sending out a messenger kitsune. Lilligold cocked a brow. “Inari… sama?” “The ruler of Neighpon,” Mizuko answered as she picked the scroll off the table and broke the wax seal. Lilligold’s eyes widened briefly before her face became a mask of worry. “I didn’t do anything wrong, did I?” she asked. Mizuko could only smile and shake her head as she opened the scroll and began reading its contents. The more she read, however, the more confused she became. The letter stated that Inari wished to speak with Lilligold, and that he needed Mizuko to act as the translator. He didn’t give any reasoning why, only that he would be meeting with Lilligold one way or another, even going so far as to say he’ll appear in public to speak with her, something that Mizuko couldn’t recall happening in the last fifty or so years. What could he possibly need with some random foreigner…? “Um... Mizuko?” Lilligold said, anxiety creeping into her voice. “What does the letter say?” “It says we’re to speak with Inari-sama at the earliest convenience.” She arched a brow while glancing up at her. “He says he wants to speak with you in person.” Lilligold's eyes shrunk to pinpricks. “Lilligold–?” A hard thud accompanied Lilligold's head impacting the table. “Lilligold!?” Mizuko reached over and nudged her a little, but got no response. She tried again, a little harder, eliciting a groan from the unicorn before she raised her head. Her eyes were glazed over, but Mizuko had a very strong feeling it wasn’t from exhaustion. But as surprising as being summoned by Inari-sama undoubtedly would be to anypony, outright fainting was a little much. Lilligold needed her help now more than ever. “Are you feeling okay?” Mizuko asked, frowning. “Do you need some medicine?” “... What?” Lilligold placed a hoof against her head. “What just happened?” “You fainted after I told you Inari-sama wishes to speak with you.” Lilligold looked confused for a second, before remembrance seemed to kick in and her body wilted, her gaze becoming anxious and fear-stricken. “I’m not in trouble, am I?” Mizuko shook her head. “You’ve been with me for your entire visit so far. Inari-sama isn’t prejudiced against foreigners, so whatever he wants with you must concern him and not you.” She picked up another Burger Bite. “But let’s wait until after we’ve finished before we go to see him. Okay?” Lilligold seemed to perk up a little as she smiled and nodded. “Alright,” she said. Noticing the fallen pickles on the table, she reached back into the bag, fishing around a little before levitating out a napkin. “This napkin feels weird,” she said, then rubbed it against her lips before arching a brow. “Is it… made of wax?” Mizuko giggled internally.