Kuro sometimes regretted her long life. Not because she feared how ephemeral the lives of mortals were, but because of how sporadic joy seemed when surrounded by them. Those she grew to like. Those she grew to befriend. Those she grew to love.

Red was the same, in a way. She knew how short time was for her to indulge in the beef stew she so loved. Something that, if she knew her friend well, Red would invest even past the lives of this mortal Master Chef, Mako-san. She'd make sure that his children, and his children's children, and his descendants were chefs and cooks and creators of dishes. She had the time and the will. Entire empires would crumble before she started losing interest… eons would pass before she decided she'd gotten tired of that little pot of glorious cuisine... periods of time that were so past the understanding of a mortal mind that even the concept alone was staggering to them, much less the weight of its full reality.

"As always, dear friend—" Red said as Kuro held the door open for her "—I entrust my hoard's safety to you."

"I will protect it," she promised once again, as she did every time Red tasked her with this mission. Not that she needed to. Kuro found this place… energizing, and would not allow any mortal creature or god to cause it harm.

The bell chimed as the door closed behind Red, who was holding the still-boiling-hot pot of beef stew out of the restaurant in her bare hands, just so she could enjoy it with her draconic taste buds in the peace and quiet of her lair, something that Kuro herself had yet to do with her beloved curry. Although given the location of her own lair… it was probably not a good idea to try.

Kuro gently closed the door, barely catching a glimpse of the mountains of gold Red had piled up in her lair. As soon as the door was closed, the smell of sulfur and the heat of the outside disappeared, and the temperature was perfectly comfortable again.

She turned, heading back into the restaurant, absently running her hand on the edge of the table until she noticed something different.

"Master."

Mako—chef and owner of the Western Restaurant Nekoya—looked up from the island in the middle of the kitchen, carefully putting down the paring knife he had been using to clean up a large amount of Strawberries, and dried his hands. "Yes, Kuro? Is this about dinner? I know we've just closed for the night but you and Aletta should really wait until we've cleaned up the restaurant."

Kuro tilted her head. "There's a door in the restaurant."

Mako blinked. "A door."

"Yes," she said motioning for him to follow her to the main room, where Aletta stood, anxiously looking at the carved wooden door that was definitely not there before. Mako approached it, running his fingers down the dark wood, and tracing the etched glass sun-like yin-yang symbol at eye level. A small, neon sign of a martini glass with the same symbol on its edge, read "Sunset's Isekai".

"Huh."

"M-master," Aletta said, "is that normal? Is it another client? Maybe from a different kingdom?"

Kuro shook her head. "I cannot see past this door. I do not know where it goes, or what manner of creatures await on the other side, but it does not go back to our world."

"It is strange," he mused, "Sunset's Other World?" Mako sighed, leaning back and scratching the back of his head. "Ah. This is… not great. I don't mind visitors, but it's unusual for an establishment to randomly open within another."

"Unlike a door suddenly appearing every seven days?" Alletta asked, earning herself an amused look from Mako.

He shrugged, glancing around. "Well, it's a bar and it's after work hours, I guess I could see—"

Before his hand reached the door handle, Kuro stopped him, gently holding him back. She shook her head at his quizzical look. "I promised Red that I would protect you."

"Um, Kuro, are you sure? Red is—"

"An old friend with whom I have an agreement," she interrupted Aletta. "I understand and appreciate your concern, but a door like this appearing inside this place is not done with casual magic."

Aletta and Mako shared a look, and Kuro could feel their worry, even if she didn't read their minds. She nodded formally as the pair finally stepped back. "Few beings pose a challenge to me. I shall return soon." She took a step to the door and held the handle. "And master…"

Mako straightened. "Yes?"

"Make sure there is some curry for me when I return."

Mako laughed. "Of course, Kuro."

Sunset debated between which picture she should put on the wall, and which one to keep for herself. Both were of Baron and Haru's wedding, and herself and Rarity in them. It had been quite the event, with plenty of celebration, pomp and food. Plus she herself didn't get to be a cat often, and she made quite the striking feline if she said so herself.

It was probably healthier for the male population of the cat kingdom that she didn't visit often, given that they didn't take hints well and they were notoriously dense when it came to clarifying that she was not interested in mice. She was leaning to keeping the picture where she was holding little Haru for herself—and putting the one where Rarity was holding the young princess on the wall—when she heard the bell chime at the entrance to the bar.

Setting the pictures aside, she checked herself, and smiled. Before she frowned. It was unusual to feel that level of power coming through her door after all. Still, a guest was a guest, and so, when the elf in the maid-like dress walked in, she smiled again. "Welcome to Sunset's Isekai! I'm Sunset Shimmer, and I will be your bartender tonight."

The elven woman, who had striking golden irises and deep black hair, stared at her impassively for a moment, before carefully studying the rest of the bar. She then approached the counter. "Greetings, Sunset Shimmer. I am known as Kuro. I have come to investigate why your door appeared in our restaurant."

Sunset blinked, then slowly glared up at the roof. "Really? A restaurant? Ugh."

"I take it you were unaware of that?"

"Yeah," Sunset said, sighing. "It's kind of embarrassing actually, although I promise that it's not about interfering with your business. My bar opens for personal guests wherever they are, when they need to talk." She held the elf's eyes with her own. "And here you are." She motioned to the stools. "We're outside time and space so no time will have passed in your world when you return."

The elf hesitated.

"Come on," Sunset said, grinning. "I don't get goddesses visiting that often."

Kuro's face actually showed surprise, even if it was a simple widening of her eyes and small parting of the lips. "Some call me that," she said, "as a result of unfortunate events."

"Those entities that have a religion about them do get a bit of that god-like signature," Sunset admitted, studying her guest. "And your power is enough to easily put you in that category in many worlds."

"Your own power is sufficiently strong to magically outstrip most creatures of my world."

Sunset felt herself smirk. "Still not as strong as yours."

"And yet you do not seem intimidated by me," Kuro said, "that is most unusual."

Sunset shrugged. "My bar won't let anyone with ill intentions in here. So, if you don't mind my asking, if you're not a goddess, what are you exactly?"

Kuro seemed to consider her words briefly before sitting down. "I have no currency I can use to pay you for food," she clarified. "That is why I work at the restaurant." She tilted her head, making her long, straight black hair sway. "My friend Red has added the restaurant to her hoard, maybe I could do the same for your bar."

Sunset had to admit, the thought of someone like Kuro working as a waitress for a restaurant seemed… outlandish. "Tell you what, the first drink is on me, but no claiming my bar as your hoard." She wagged her finger at the elf, who noted the gesture with curiosity. "I know dragons tend to claim things for their hoards, but it is not generally acceptable behaviour for most cultures in the multiverse."

"Understood. You are not worried that I am a dragon?"

"Nah, I know a few," Sunset said, picking up a menu and giving it to Kuro. "Please, choose a drink."

"How curious, your menu has a spell that allows me to understand what you're offering."

"It's a handy little spell, isn't it?"

"Nekoya only has menus in Japanese and the Eastern Continent common language."

Sunset gave Kuro time to study the menu, and soon the dragon had ordered a Chateau Mont Valjean, which she readily produced for her and served up.

As Kuro let the wine breathe, she glanced up at Sunset. "I am one of six primordial dragons that fought for a thousand years and defeated the Chaos of Many Tentacles. Myself, Gold, Red, Blue, Green, and White, became what the locals of the world now call the Six Pillars."

"Huh, so a traditional chthonic entity of unquestionable chaotic power."

Kuro nodded. "For thousands of years, it had the world trapped in a cycle of death and rebirth… until Gold decided to stop it and gathered us to fight. We stopped it, but during the time it took us to destroy it, all the old world creatures had perished and the world gave birth to new, less powerful races."

She looked at the wine, her face not betraying any emotion, and yet, Sunset could feel that there was some regret there.

"While the others were able to return there and claim territories, my power was… dangerous to lesser creatures. My mere presence alone could cause them to die if I flew by in my natural form." She delicately sipped her wine, seeming to enjoy it, but her eyes were still distant, recalling the past. "And so, to protect them, I left. I flew out of the world, and claimed the remains of the moon as my territory, where I would pose no threat to any creature. I have been there for thirty thousand years now, alone."

Sunset sighed, crossing her arms. Since becoming the owner of her bar, she had met a few deities that had visited. Some, she'd had to face directly, defeat, and even while adventuring with Rarity. It was unusual to meet a goddess that worried not only about her own followers, but living creatures in general. "I'm sorry to hear that. It seems you care a lot about their lives."

"It is an odd thing, for their 'Goddess of Death', I'm sure." Kuro said, looking up as if expecting a negative reaction.

Sunset laughed. "That is true. Although I suppose that in a very real sense, no creature would have a greater understanding of the value of life, than a god of death."

The tiniest of smiles crossed Kuro's face, and her eyes warmed.

"It's a long time to be alone, though," Sunset said, barely even able to comprehend the concept of being stuck in a single place for what sounded like an eternity. "How come you ended up working in a restaurant?"

"Nakoya is special. Every seven days—on the day of Satur—its doors will appear all over the world. If a creature knows where to find one, they are able to go into the Master's world and eat in his restaurant."

"Master?"

"That is what people of my world call him, and other owners of their respective establishments when within their bounds, unless they—like you—indicate that you would rather be called something different."

"Huh. That sounds similar to my bar," Sunset said after a moment. "I guess there's a couple of differences: Sunset's Isekai will appear anywhere in the multiverse, and I only serve drinks." She grinned. "So what kind of food do you serve?"

"The Master cooks what he calls 'Western Food', a style of cooking from his world," Kuro said. "He has made it clear that it is different from the food of his country, which he calls 'Japan'."

"Hey, I used to work in a sushi restaurant while I was in highschool," Sunset said. When Kuro tilted her head, she clarified, "A type of Japanese cuisine. We might be from the same world."

Kuro nodded. "It wasn't until a door to his restaurant appeared in my territory that I had a chance to enjoy the company of mortals again, albeit in this form, out of necessity to fit in, and also for their protection."

"I have a friend who was exiled to the moon for a thousand years," Sunset said, "but she was barely conscious of time passing."

Kuro shook her head. "Because it was my own choice, I naturally remained aware… my followers ask for my blessing, and sometimes I will grant it. But I would always watch the world I protected from afar."

"Sounds very lonely."

Kuro didn't say anything for a few minutes, simply content to drink her wine in silence. Sunset couldn't guess what the dragon-turned-elf was thinking. "I'm sorry, I didn't intend—"

"It is fine, Kuro said, looking up. "It's nice to be alone sometimes, and I still get anxious about being around creatures with insufficient power to not die in my presence… but I did miss my friends." She lifted the wineglass and studied the light going through. "Facing eternity with only my thoughts for company, or the distant prayers of those that consider me their patron was a small prize for the safety of the new creatures living in the world. I just wish that I was able to fly and meet with Red or White." She took a deep breath. "When the door appeared… I got a chance to have company again… something I thought I would have to wait a long time for… and I discovered curry." Kuro nodded firmly. "And now my life is complete."

"Wait, curry?"

"Curry." Kuro smiled for real this time. "When I first entered the restaurant, one of the regulars, Admiral Alphonse Flügel bought me an order of curry. Mako—the Master, prepares the most amazing curry, and it is my favorite food ever."

Sunset raised an eyebrow. "That must be some curry."

"It is delicious." Kuro looked up at Sunset. "You should come," she said, "the Master is saving some for me."

Sunset shook her head. "I couldn't…"

"Doesn't it get lonely sometimes?" Kuro asked, and Sunset paused, giving her a look.

"Even if you get customers occasionally or frequent visitors, one thing I have learned from working in Nekoya, is that spending time with others is very important. You are here to provide your guests with an ear and a drink and they can come in at any time, but even if time passes differently in this world, it still passes in between visitors. Why isolate yourself to one place when you have the opportunity to try more for no other special reason than to try new things?" She glanced around. "The magic here is different. Powerful. Ancient. But one thing is true… it will always be here. And so will you, whether you step out for a bit or not. That much, I understand."

Sunset felt her stomach grumble.

Kuro smirked. "I heard that."

"Was it that loud?" Sunset asked, cringing a little and feeling herself smile despite the embarrassment.

Rather than answering, Kuro used the tip of a finger to touch one of her own, very long ears.

"Ah."

As soon as the door closed, Aletta turned to look at Mako. "Master, are you sure Kuro will be okay?"

"I—she seemed pretty convinced that she could take care of herself," Mako said hesitantly. "And she is a friend of Red's, I can't imagine her being—"

"But, what if she gets in trouble! It's very strange to have a door appear out of nowhere!" Aletta said. "I know! It happened to me!"

"And you're okay, right?" Mako said. "Look, this seems to be a similar situation to the Nekoya. The door is well crafted and taken care of, and the drink menu looks fairly good, I'm su—" He was interrupted by the door opening again, and Kuro stepping out "—she'll be out in no time! See?"

"Master," Kuro nodded politely and stepped aside to allow someone else to walk out. "This is Sunset Shimmer, proprietor of 'Sunset's Isekai'."

Mako took a moment to study the smartly dressed young woman with flaming red and gold hair, wearing a black vest over a red shirt that followed Kuro out. Her skin was leaning on light orange, and for a moment he wondered if she was going for a ganguro look, but it seemed her natural tan, reminding him of her namesake. He extended his hand. "Mako Yamagata," he said when she shook it. "Owner of the Nekoya."

Sunset grinned. "Sunset Shimmer, owner of Sunset's Isekai. Sorry for dropping my door in your restaurant."

Mako smirked. "Now I know how everyone else feels."

"Master."

"Yes, Kuro?"

"We came for curry."

Author's Notes:

While I hadn't watched "Restaurant to Another World" I had heard of it, and it was one of those things that people thought I was referencing or imitating, even if I wasn't. As I've pointed out before, places like Sunset's Isekai, or Western Restaurant Nekoya, are nothing new to fantasy literature or tv.

However, I had wanted to watch the series, and the comments were a constant reminder that I hadn't. So I did. And I read the manga. And started the Light Novels.

Ongoing-ish because the Anime doesn't appear to have future seasons in store, the manga is finished, and the light novels are continuing. To keep things simple, I only referenced stuff that is known in the anime, save for Mako's actual name, which I don't believe is revealed in the series.