"Why do you think Lady Miko called for us today traveller?" paimon asked as she floated around excitedly

"Well whatever the reason it must be important to get an urgent summoning" the traveller answered his floaty companion feigning worry as there might be a commotion between the priestess of watatsumi and the raiden shoguns representative for the peace talks

They walk up the seemingly never ending staircase up to the narukami shrine and upon their arrival one of the priestess greets them and guides them to Lady Miko's private quarters

"Lady Miko, your guests have arrived" announced the priestess

"Thank you Mariko, you can leave them to me as the matters we are about to discuss are rather sensitive" Miko says with a wave of her hand

The priestess gives a bow then walks away leaving the three to discuss in private

"So Lady Miko, what was it that was so important that you needed an urgent summoning?" asked the traveller

"Well to put it quite simply, I need inspiration for a new novel" Miko says casually with a slight chuckle

the traveller and paimon gapd at what Miko said "You...called us...to write you a book?!"

paimon screeched bewildered, and quite honestly rightfully so

"Hehe, of course not dearies i called you here for inspiration" Miko clarifies, but the traveller and paimon are still confused so Miko added " Oh I know how busy you two are, but rest assured this will be treated as a commision and will have just compensation"

"Well we are a little short on mora traveller" the traveller grimaced in response remembering having spent mora for better weaponry as well as feeding paimon, that belly of hers seems to be such a black hole

"All right then, we accept the commision, how exactly can we give inspiration?"

"Well I have been made aware of your travells around liyue and monstadt, perhaps there is some stories you want to share?"

The traveller and paimon look at each other and gather up thoughts of your previous adventures

"Well we once fought a dragon that was corrupted by evil and saved monstadt from destruction?"

"Hmm I believe there is already a story written similar to that. Do you have any other unique stories"

"Oh! Oh! Paimon has one!" Paimon squeels excitedly

" We once fought a doppleganger of our friend up in dragonspine " Miko gives Paimons story a thought before answering " Unique and interesting...but not really my style, any others?"

The traveller and Paimon try to suggest other stories of their adventures but none of seem to interest the shrine priestess

"Well what story do you like? Maybe we can get a story that fits your liking" Traveller suggests exhausted

"Ohhh yeah, traveller has a point whats your favourite story Lady Miko?" Paimon adds

Miko looks distraught for a moment before shaking her head and chuckling "My favourite story hmm very well listen well"

Hundreds of years ago there live a little fox girl who wanted to find a place to belong, but because of the reputation of the foxes at that time as tricksters nobody wanted to interact with the little fox girl. Then one day as the little fox girl was hunting for something to eat, someone comes barelling down from up the hill and fell on the fox girl, groaning in pain from the weight of this someone on top of her the little fox girl growls "Would you get off of me"

This someone bolts up and profusely apologizes "Im sorry! Im sorry! I was just chasing around this crystal fly since i thought my siblings would like it but i didnt realize that there was a rock in the path and ended up tumbling down the hill" the little fox girl looks at the person who crashed into her and instantly think "this girl is most definitely an air head"

"Hmph! You made me lose my lunch so I won't accept your apology!" the little fox girl huffs with her arms crossed

the girl then panics for a bit then suddenly exclaims "Uhh, well I'm good at looking for things maybe I can help you look for food? As sorry for making you lose your food in the first place?"

"Hmm maybe if you can catch me rabbit or two all will be forgiven" the girl then cheers and grabs the little fox girls hands "Yesss! I wont let you down!" the little fox girl blushes as no one has ever dared touch her before

the two girls spent the entire afternoon chasing and hunting rabbits, and for the first time the little fox girl felt happy, happy that someone willingly spent time with her, but all good things must come to an end.

As darkness soon overtook the sky it was time to let go of this one bright light but before they can separate the girl says "Can I come back and see you again?" the little fox girl looks at her shocked

"You- You wanna see me again?" The little fox girl asks shyly

the girl beems and grabs her hands once more

" Of course! I had so much fun with you and you seem really cool why wouldn't i wanna see you again?" the little fox girls then looks at this girl, this girl with silver hair in a single braid with eyes that seem to be the same shade as the morning sky, and seeing that, it seemed to mirror the look of home

the little fox gir tightens her hold on the girl with silver hair and beems " Of course!"

days, months, years passed and silver haired girl continued to visit her, not once missing a day, she even once visited the fox girl whilst sick, the fox girl had worried so much and scolded the girl with silver hair but all she got back was " Well I'll be sad if I didn't see you today and honestly that worse than being sick!" she boldly claimed. It got the fox girls head hot thinking about the stupidity of that answer wanting to scold the girl with silver hair much more, but the warmth in her heart pleaded otherwise

"Wow, that's such a sweet story" Paimon interjects

Miko looks out longingly " It is isn't it but unfortunately this story is as not as sweet as it may seem"

the fox girl heard that there are monsters in the area terrorizing the village nearby, worried that her friend might get hurt she warned the other that she should stop her visitations until these monsters were dealt with

"But what about you?! what if you get hurt?" honestly, can this girl think about herself once in a while

"I'll be fine I've lived in these woods all my life i have more advantage against those monsters than you" oh how wrong was the little fox girl

Just a few days after that conversation the mosnters found her hiding spot and gruesome battle commenced

The fox girl was left battered and bruised from the number of monsters but the battle was left to a halt as scream of a woman enters the battlefield. Then infront of her was the silver haired woman

"Hehe, I knew you'd be in trouble so leave it all to me now" the silver haired girl then taunts the monsters drawing all attention towards then sprinting away all the while yelling " Come and get me!"

The fox girl wanted to chase after that stupid girl but the bruises of battle left her too exhausted, then she collapsed

By the time the fox girl woke up it was night, after gathering her thoughts, filled with a certain silver haired girl, she stood up, limping, forcing all the stength in her body to look for her friend

"Did the fox girl find her? The silver haired girl have an epic battle and won against those monsters?" Paimon asks, a little bit too into the story

"If only that were the case, but no" Miko answers, her eyes noticably glistening

By the time the fox girl finds her friend, all was left was a cold, bloodied body.

The fox girl falls to her knees and craddles her friends head in her lap. With a mighty roar she screams up to the heavens and as it would seem that the heavens felt her pain roared with her.

Lightning and thunder danced around them, and after they died down what was left was a vision.

The fox girl at first did not know what it was but she knew that it was a gift sent to avenge her friend.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, she took the vision and stormed off hunting those monsters that took the warmth that made her feel alive.

The fox girl couldn't remember much of the battle, all she could remember was the burning rage that coursed through her veins and the cackling of thunder on her finger tips.

Looking at the corpses of the monsters, she did not feel satisfied, no, not at all

"Why couldn't I have gotten this power sooner!"

"Why did you not give this to her?! Her who could fought and saved many?!"

"WHY COULDN'T I SAVE HER!"

the fox girl, feeling helpless all but screamed to heavens

Days passed

She had buried her friend, all the while hate burning in her core, questions lingering her mind

"Why didn't you just leave me alone?"

"Why didn't you just listen to me for once?"

"Why did it have to be you?"

and the most prevalent of al

"Why did you have to leave me"

The fox girl continued to mourn but was interrupted by the scent of one? no… several people

She stoop preparing for battle but was met with people of the village

"Hello miss, we mean you no harm we just wish to speak to you" one of the villagers speak raising their arms to show that they mean no harm

Curios the fox thought "Alright, but make it quick"

As it turns out news of the band of monsters dealt with by an unknown woman with pink hair reached the villagers, and the villagers wanting to thank the woman sought her out which led them to where they were now

"I- I am nobody worth thanking for" the fox girl says shakily

"Oh dear but you are, the gods even think so granting you the power to protect us" the fox girl scoffs knowing that the one she wanted to protect, she failed

One of the elders seem to notice her turmoil then comes up to the fox girl and holds her hands "My dear, Whatever it may be that makes you think you are not worth thanking please be rest assured that because of your actions all of us here, are alive and well" Something swells in the fox girls heart and maybe, just maybe, there may be some ray of light upon this evernight.

years has passed and the fox girl has been accepted into the village where she swore to protect this people with all her might. The people sought her out for advice, the children hung of her arms excited to be near her all of this felt welcoming, yet it never felt like she belonged.

For where she belonged was in the arms of a silver haired woman with eyes the same shade as the morning sky…

By the end of the story Paimons eyes were watering and the traveller had come completely silent

"Oh my, was the story that bad? Hehe im sorry but i suppose it is an acquired taste" Miko jokes trying to liven up the mood

"No! No! Paimon thinks its a great story, Well- except maybe for the dying part" Paimon says after wiping her tears. Noticing the heavy atmosphere the traveller coughs into their hands then says " Well maybe we can find a similar story while talking to the people of inazuma? Paimon, we can get some food there as we ask around" at the mention of food paimon immediately perks up

"Ohhh thats a great idea traveller. let's go!" paimon says before floating out. The traveller stands and heads for the door before stopping and turning back

"Hey Lady Miko"

"Yes, Traveller?"

"I hope you find the place where you belong" the traveller says before following his floating companion

"I hope so too…"