Disclaimer: I don't own Hanazuki; Lost Treasures!
Title: Flower Hill
Summary: Hanazuki questions where she comes from, while all Kiazuki wants is a nap.
...
There's a hill that overlooks the treasure tree gardens that Hanazuki finds pleasant to take naps on. There's a lot of places on her moon that are good to nap on, but this is one of her favorites, simply because of how soft the grasses are, the angle of the breeze on her skin.
It had taken her a long time to show Kiazuki this place. Well, Kiazuki had probably seen the hill plenty of times, during those long walks she took across the moon, but it's relevancy wasn't something Hanazuki shared with a lot of people. Anyone, really. It felt freeing to finally tell someone, no matter how dismissive she'd been about it; and, even though she had been so disconcerned, Hanazuki noticed that the other Moonflower tended to avoid the place now, probably out of respect. She didn't seem to mind breaking that silent law when they were together, however, like they were now.
"Hey, Kiazuki?"
Kiazuki let out a quiet sigh through her nose. Hanazuki knew her well enough to know she wasn't in the mood to talk. "What?"
"What's the Big Bad made of?"
"How am I supposed to know that?"
Hanazuki shrugged. "I mean, you already knew what it was called. Ergo, you should know what it's made of."
The older Moonflower closed her eyes. Hanazuki wondered what that would look like if they didn't glow- the dark band that crossed her face. It'd probably be creepy. "Your logic is seriously flawed. No one knows what the Big Bad is. That's why it's called the Big Bad- it's not good, but we dunno why it's bad, either. It just is."
"That sounds kinda silly."
"You sound kinda silly."
They were devolving again. Hanazuki picked a handful of grass free from the dirt, then paused, wondering if this counted as murder. "Well, if you don't know what the Big Bad is, do you know what we are?"
"Sentient flowers." She kicked her feet up. "It's not a complicated concept, Hanazuki."
"But why?"
"This is the kind of thing to ask Little Dreamer, not me."
Hanazuki drew out an uncertain noise. "Little Dreamer is a good listener, not so much a talker."
Kiazuki laughed. It was a weird sound, and not quite fitting of her, wavering between too harsh and too light. There truly was no in-between with the Moonflower. "Don't I know it."
This wasn't helping. The younger Moonflower took in a deep breath, then released it, but she wasn't sure it was a sigh. She didn't feel exasperated. Just confused. "Don't you ever question it, though? What we are, where we came from, y'know, that sorta thing?"
"No," she said bluntly, wriggling her fingers. "I mean... does it really even matter? We exist, we take care of our moons, we do our job. How it happens isn't a big deal."
"I guess not," she allowed, but didn't necessarily feel that way. If there's one thing existing has taught her, it's that everyone has a history, even if that history isn't a good one, and she'd like to know her's. Even a little. "Do you have any ideas?"
"Ugh." Kiazuki flopped back. "You're not letting this go, are you?"
"Nope!"
"Whatever." The older Moonflower paused, considering, before finally saying; "I guess the Big Bad could be a cloud of bad feelings, or something. Or maybe the black Treasure Trees gained sentience? It's evil, and that's what's important."
"So the Big Bad is evil tree juice?"
"I already told you, I don't know."
Hanazuki stifled a giggle. "So are we good flower juice?"
Kiazuki bit her lip. Shrugged. "I always figured the rainbow treasure you told me about had something to do with that."
That hadn't occurred to her. What would that mean for her? Had she unknowingly made a life that day, after swallowing all those Treasure Tree plants? Would Little Dreamer have told her? (Could he have told her? It's hard to say) "I guess that's possible. I kind of hope not, though."
"Why not? It'd be an answer."
"That would also mean I made life. I dunno if I'm okay with making life."
She snorted. "You're the one who was so big into that whole mama business."
"That's different. Chicken Plant's eggs are eggs. Not seeds for flowers."
Kiazuki didn't respond, which Hanazuki took to her accepting her response. It's hard for Kiazuki to show agreement, or so she'd found. "Still. It's an idea."
"Maybe we're made with magic instead?"
"Magic flower magic?"
"Yeah. Magic flower magic."
"That's kind of boring, honestly. If we're going to dream, we might as well dream big."
Hanazuki glanced up at the sky. Her favorite parts were the floating bits. "I like dreaming boring, sometimes. It's nice."
"Pschaw."
"There's a lot about life I don't understand. I think it's supposed to be that way."
"Life is weird. We're not supposed to make it normal."
That was one way of looking at it. "I kind of like that."
"Get used to it."
"I won't!"
"You like being stubborn, don't you?"
"Absolutely."
Author's Note: Finally finished this! It was a commission, and now it's done. =) 900 words total, not counting the author notes.
-Mandaree1