"Ad astra tenebris!"

"Morning, Kathy!" Roxas greeted the receptionist with a nickname he'd come up with for her. "Got any new Commissions for me?"

"Only one for today," replied Katheryne. "Roxas, the tales of your deeds have spread throughout all of Mondstadt, but if you wish to become a great adventurer, there comes a time when you must leave behind the places you know."

"In other words, you want me to do something outside of Mondstadt?"

"Indeed." Katheryne nodded, handing him an envelope. "Take this letter and deliver it to Liyue Katheryne. Once you do, she will be able to assist you with all your adventuring needs. Of course, whenever you're in Mondstadt, I'll be happy to serve you as well."

"Wait, Liyue Katheryne?" Roxas had to do a double take. "You mean there's more than one of you?"

"Yes," replied Katheryne. "Try not to think about it too much. Just think of it as me instantaneously traveling to whatever nation you're visiting."

"Um...fair enough." Roxas pocketed the letter. "I'll be going then."

"Adventurer Roxas, the time has come for you to take the next great leap toward the light and the darkness. Ad astra tenebris!"

"Ad astra tenebris, Kathy!"

Roxas set off for the land of Geo.

BGM: The Home of Dragons - Kingdom Hearts 2.5 ReMix

"Check out those buildings!"

Roxas stood in awe at the stunning architecture of Liyue Harbor. It was unlike almost anything he'd ever seen before, but it did remind him of a place known as the Land of Dragons.

"Oh, is this your first time in Liyue?"

Roxas turned to see a woman with orange hair, a funny red hat, and what looked like white antlers approaching him.

"Um...yeah, it is. I'm looking for Katheryne. Do you know where she is?"

"Not far from here," replied the antler woman. "She's near the local blacksmith. Just find him and Katheryne should be right nearby. Of course, I don't work with the Adventurer's Guild, but Katheryne's hard to miss."

"Got it, thanks, uh..."

"Oh! My name's Yanfei." Yanfei held out her hand for a handshake. "And you are?"

"Roxas." The former Nobody shook Yanfei's hand.

"Good to meet you," said Yanfei. "And welcome to Liyue!"

"Thanks! I'll be going, then."

"Take care, Roxas," Yanfei said, waving goodbye. "And if you ever get into any legal dilemmas, you know who to look for!"

Legal dilemmas? Roxas was drawing a blank. Is Yanfei a lawyer?

"Welcome to the Liyue branch of the Adventurer's Guild. Ad astra tenebris!"

"Katheryne!" Roxas ran up to the booth where the clone was standing. "I've got a letter for you. It's from Mondstadt."

"Ah, I anticipated this." Katheryne accepted the letter from Roxas. She opened the envelope and had a quick read of the paper inside. "I see. So you're Roxas, the outlander who's become the Guild's brightest rising star."

"Oh, so the letter was just Mondstadt Kathy gushing about me?"

"Not entirely," replied Liyue Katheryne, "but I will say that she had nothing negative to say about you. In any case, you're qualified to take on Commissions in both Mondstadt and Liyue now."

"Sweet!" said Roxas. "Anyway, you got anything else for me?"

Katheryne shook her head. "Nothing for now, but a fresh batch of Commissions will be calling your name tomorrow."

"Okay then, I think I'll be heading back to Mondstadt. See ya!"

End BGM

"Man, what a view! Paimon can see where she met Roxas from here!"

"Lovely for a fated reunion, isn't it?" Venti mused. "Well, we must be prepared for things to get ugly."

"Regardless of the outcome," said Jean, "it seems things are finally getting better. Mondstadt has been really going through it lately."

"And in the end, all we needed was a little help from a key-wielding outlander and a song from a fancy lyre," Diluc added. "...And, well, I suppose the Knights of Favonius did play a part, too."

Venti cleared his throat. "Everyone, please step aside. I, the best wandering bard of the mortal world, shall begin my performance with the Holy Lyre der Himmel!"

The bard began plucking the strings of the Holy Lyre, forming a beautifully ethereal song. Roxas couldn't describe it, but it almost awakened something within his heart. What is this feeling?

The winds began to pick up. A shadow loomed overhead. Dvalin had answered the call of the Lyre's melody.

"YOU HAVE COME..." said Dvalin, his voice booming through Roxas's entire body. "BUT YOU CANNOT UNDO THAT WHICH HAS BEEN DONE."

"Then why do your eyes show sadness, Dvalin?" Venti said, speaking to the dragon as he would an old friend. "That sadness speaks of your yearning for this song, does it not?"

"They're...communicating!" Jean exclaimed.

Suddenly, a bolt of ice shot from behind Dvalin, striking Venti and the Holy Lyre. The sacred instrument snapped, its strings losing their luster.

"No! Tone-Deaf Bard!" Roxas rushed forward, summoning Oathkeeper and Oblivion.

"Do not let his words deceive you, dear dragon..." a shrill, yet demonic voice spoke as a Cryo Abyss Mage emerged from behind Dvalin. "That bastard left you to rot alone. Now, he attempts to deceive you once more!"

"No! Listen to me!" Venti cried. Roxas swore he saw tears in the bard's eyes.

Dvalin roared. "BARBATOS!"

"Yes!" exclaimed the Abyss Mage. "Let your wrath fester! Call upon the darkness within your heart and release it upon the heathens who turned their back on you!"

Dvalin unleashed another roar. Roxas felt his blood run cold as he drove his Keyblades into the ground, keeping himself from being blown away.

"YOU!" Dvalin screamed at Venti (Barbatos?). "YOU PLANNED THIS ALL ALONG!? TO USE MY OWN SONG AS A MEANS TO BRING ME TO BE SLAIN BY THEM LIKE A LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER!?"

"Dvalin, no!" Venti cried. "It's not like that! I won't abandon you in the darkness! You can come back to the light!"

"The time has come for the dragon to serve its true master!" The Abyss Mage mounted Dvalin's back. "While you bewail your pathetic selves and watch the world tremble with fear!"

"Barba-no, Venti...please be careful."

Venti gave a halfhearted laugh. "So...you've known for some time now...haven't you, Jean? I thank you for continuing to call me by my...mortal name."

"What about the Holy Lyre?" asked Diluc. "Can it still be played, or do we need to repair it again?"

"It's...beyond repair for now," replied Venti.

Roxas clenched a fist. "We can't let that Abyss Mage get away! I'm going after him!"

"Right," Diluc agreed. "If we don't fight the evil at its source, we can't save Dvalin at all."

"I'll call upon Outrider Amber to track it down," said Jean.

Diluc shut her down. "Don't bother. Roxas and I killed one about a week ago, in one of the Four Winds Temples. I'll look for answers from my contacts. I've got...other means of getting the job done, after all."

Jean smiled. "That's Diluc for you. He may dislike the Knights of Favonius, but he'll protect Mondstadt to the very end."

"Oh?" Roxas smirked, raising an eyebrow. "And why does Acting Grandmaster Jean sound so...doting all of a sudden?"

Jean turned red.

"I mean, if you two are secretly dating or something, there's honestly no shame in it."

"Paimon could see it," the faerie mused. "They've got their differences, sure, but they still respect each other."

"Well..." Diluc sighed. "I suppose there's no point in hiding it anymore. ...Yes, Jean and I are...together."

"Ha! I called it!" Roxas pumped a fist. "Venti, you owe me six hundred Mora. Pay up!"

"Can I pay you with a performance?"

"Nope. Cash only."

"A-Anyway..." Diluc's face had begun to flush. "Wait for my word on the Abyss Order for now. I'll be sure to let them know that their blatant disregard for Mondstadt-no, for all of humanity...will not go unpunished."

"In the meantime," said Jean, "Roxas, I ran into Noelle just before I left to come here. She said she was looking for you."

"Oh, okay," said Roxas. "Where can I find her?"

"I told her to wait for you near the bridge."

"Honorary Knight!" a familiar voice beckoned. "Over here!"

Roxas ran over to find the maid-knight Noelle waving at him. "Hey! It's been a while."

"Don't worry about it," Noelle assured him. "I've been keeping myself busy while you were out helping save Mondstadt!"

"Jean told you?"

"Oh, yes, she did!" Noelle replied. "Well...not everything, but she did say you're helping to quell Stormterror!"

"Yeah," Roxas affirmed. "Master Diluc's in on the action, too."

"Oh?" Noelle seemed intrigued. "But I thought he disliked the Knights of Favonius."

"He does," said Roxas, "but he still wants to protect Mondstadt. You should get to know him a little. He's got a tough shell, but under that, he's a real nice guy."

"Heh, no wonder women swoon at the mention of his name," Noelle mused.

"Anyway," said Roxas, "how're things with you? Jean said you wanted to meet me here."

"Oh, I did tell her that," Noelle remembered. "Roxas...if it's not too much trouble...could I ask you for some guidance on my Chivalric Training?"

"Sure," said Roxas. "Where do you wanna start?"

"W-Well..." Noelle stuttered, "I'd like to get your opinion on something, since, well, you're the Honorary Knight and all."

"I mean, I'm not an official Knight, so I don't think I'm much qualified for this."

"But Master Jean saw fit to make you an honorary one," Noelle refuted. "So...I thought you might know something that could help me become a Knight. And...of course, I did want to...spend some time with you."

"Oh, yeah, I did promise to hang out with you a while back, didn't I?" said Roxas. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"It's alright!" Noelle assured him. "But...anyway, I've been keeping up with my maidly duties and knightly exercises every day. I told you my training routine, didn't I?'

Roxas nodded. "I'm still surprised you can do a hundred push-ups and call it 'basic training.'"

"I'm actually very busy every day," said Noelle, "but...I just feel like something's missing..."

"What's missing is a freaking break!" said Roxas. "Look, don't get me wrong, I love that you find it so fulfilling to help people, but you've gotta give yourself a chance to rest every now and then. C'mon, let's go somewhere and we'll call that your break for the day."

"R-Rest?" Noelle was reluctant. "But...I've still got so much work to do."

"And you've got plenty of time left in the day to do it."

"But I'm still not skilled enough in combat," said Noelle. "Any free time I do get should be spent training. If I want to become a real Knight, I have to continue to put in more effort than the others."

"Well...part of being a real Knight means knowing your limits," Roxas stated, "and resting when you need to."

"But...time is precious," said Noelle. "And if I rest, I'll...I'll feel so guilty..."

"You shouldn't feel ashamed of needing to take a break." Roxas put a tender hand on her shoulder. "Besides, if you can't take proper care of yourself, how are you gonna be able to take proper care of others? Not to mention that if you don't get enough rest, you won't be able to put your best foot forward in your training."

"Resting for the sake of training..." Noelle snapped her fingers. "Oh! I get it! That's why Miss Lisa always has afternoon tea in the library!"

"Well..." Roxas laughed a little. "Lisa just rests for the sake of resting."

"Okay!" Noelle said. "I've decided. I'll take a break to spend some time with you. Is there anything you had in mind?"

"Here's an idea," said Roxas. "We'll grab something to go from Good Hunter, climb to the roof of the cathedral, and eat lunch while we enjoy the view."

"That sounds splendid!"

"Noelle! There you are!"

"Bea?"

Roxas sighed. Of all the times for someone to be crying Noelle's name to the sky...

Reluctantly, he followed Noelle to meet the distressed woman.

"What happened?" Noelle asked Bea. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"It's Quinn," Bea almost sobbed. "He's ignoring me again."

"Oh, take your time, no need to rush!" Noelle assured her. "The Honorary Knight and I are here to help!"

Bea whimpered. "I...I noticed Quinn was in a bad mood, so I wanted to call him over for a chat...and, well, a date...I guess."

Noelle blushed. "Oh, a d-date? So it's that sort of problem?"

"Yes!" said Bea. "I've visited him several times already today, but no matter how hard I try to make conversation, he just ignores me! Noelle, everyone in Mondstadt thinks you're really cute...so you must be pretty popular, right? Can you help me out?"

I mean, they wouldn't be wrong, Roxas thought. No-wait! Why the heck am I thinking that about Noelle!?

"Ah...of course!" Noelle turned a little redder. "After all, a maid must help the people of Mondstadt. But...I...don't exactly have any experience in that area."

"Oh..." Bea looked like she was about to cry.

"Wait!" Noelle interjected. "Honorary Knight Roxas is here, too! He might be able to help you!"

"Hey, I've got no experience with romance either, so...I don't feel that qualified to do this. And we did say we were gonna take a break...but, well, I guess a detour never hurt anyone."

"Ah! Thank you so much! Anyway, Bea said that Quinn always seems busy and ignores everything she says..."

"So maybe she should try getting his attention with something other than words," Roxas suggested. "Like a gift."

"Brilliant!" Noelle commended. "But what kind of gift...?"

"Normally people say stuff like 'it's just the thought that counts,' but that's a load of crap. Of course, the thought is important, but it's not all that matters."

"Right," Noelle agreed. "A gift should convey the intention of the person giving the gift."

"Exactly. I've always had a thing for handmade gifts since the person took the time and effort to actually make something for the person they're giving it to."

"I think the same," said Noelle. "But everyone has their preferences, which means Quinn might not find a handmade gift appealing. Like, if it were me...I'd want roses. And you'd want handmade things..."

"But what would Quinn like?"

"He's one of the Four Drunkards of Mondstadt, isn't he?" Noelle remembered.

"In that case, we'll try picking out something to do with wine," said Roxas.

"Let's head to Marjorie's store and see what she's got in stock," said Noelle.

"Ah, if it isn't Noelle and the Honorary Knight! Welcome to With Wind Comes Glory." Marjorie had a cheeky grin on her face. "And what wind brought you two together? I barely ever see Noelle with someone else unless she's doing something for them."

"Really?" Roxas was surprised.

"Noelle practically always takes care of things alone when she works," said Marjorie. "And once she's done with one thing, she's off to take care of another without so much as a second to catch her breath. Noelle," Marjorie turned to the maid-knight, "you're not a child anymore, are you? You really should take some more time for yourself. If you don't...well, you might regret it."

"Oh, I actually was planning on taking a break with Roxas today," said Noelle.

"Ah...so you're taking a day off...with the Honorary Knight." Marjorie raised an eyebrow. "Now that sounds like something to celebrate. I'm guessing you're here to pick out a gift for him, then?"

"Nah, I'm here to buy a gift for Noelle," Roxas joked.

Noelle turned red. "D-Don't tease me like that...!"

Marjorie laughed. "Well, it doesn't matter who's giving what to who. After all, you can't get without giving!"

"M-Me and the Honorary Knight don't have that kind of relationship!" Noelle stuttered.

"Not yet, you mean," Marjorie prodded.

"You've got a knack for this, huh?" said Roxas.

"I guess," said Marjorie. "Noelle's the sort of person that needs a push every so often. But...seems she's still a little in the dark when it comes to these things."

Noelle looked like a tomato. "I-I just...I should let such things distract me from my training! There are just too many important things for me to take care of..."

"Okay, okay, I'll stop teasing," Marjorie said. "So, what brings you two here."

Roxas filled her in on Bea's situation.

"Oh, in that case, here are some suggestions." Marjorie rifled through her shelves and pulled out two items. "This Frostening Bottle can keep wine in peak condition for a long time, ice-cold and perfectly fresh. And this Squirrel Wood Carving would look great as an ornament for Quinn's stall. So, which one do you like?"

"We'll take the bottle," said Roxas, handing Marjorie a handful of Mora.

"A fitting gift for one of the Four Drunkards," Noelle said to herself. He remembered what I said...aww...

"Alright, lemme just wrap that up for you." Marjorie got to work.

"You want me to give him this Frostening Bottle?" said Bea.

Roxas nodded. "He's one of the Four Drunkards, he'll love it."

"Wait..." Bea thought for a moment. "Maybe I could use it as bait...tell him that if he wants it, he'll have to go on a date with me..."

"Um...is that how gifts work?" asked Noelle.

"Nope, nope, nope, that is not how they work," Roxas said quickly.

"Well, as long as it helps," said Noelle.

"Wait! Oh no..." Bea looked sad again. "I just realized I've spent so much time focusing on the gift, I forgot about where our date's gonna be!"

Roxas slapped his palm to his forehead.

"Could you two help me again?" asked Bea. "A-A date should be properly planned, so...don't feel like you have to rush."

"We'll need a place with pleasant scenery and a quiet atmosphere," Noelle deduced once she and Roxas had left Bea. "Let's go have a look around. I've got three locations in mind. We can look around in those areas and let Bea have the final say."

"Got it." Roxas set off with Noelle. "What places did you have in mind?"

"Cape Oath, Windrise, and Starsnatch Cliff."

The sun had begun to set by the time Noelle and Roxas returned.

"So, what locations did you find?" Bea asked.

"Cape Oath, Windrise, and Starsnatch Cliff. Windrise was our choice," said Roxas. "There's just something about it that screams 'prime dating location material.'"

"'May your love be as free as a dandelion in the wind,'" Noelle recited.

"Windrise is great," Bea agreed, "but it feels a little...cliche. Old folks are always going on and on about something symbolic about that place...and Quinn and I always went there when we were young."

"Actually, that's even better," said Roxas. "You might be able to bring back some fond memories, and that might get him to want to make new ones with you."

"I...I didn't think of that," said Bea. "Okay...I'll give him the bottle and then we'll go on a date to Windrise."

Roxas sighed. "All that time, and we never got around to lunch."

"We can have dinner instead," Noelle offered. "At the roof of the cathedral, like you wanted."

"Oh, yeah, I guess we could do that," Roxas agreed. "Good Hunter's right there. Let's get something to go. My treat."

"Oh, you don't have to!" said Noelle. "I can pay for it."

"Your money has no power here," Roxas quipped. He turned to Sara, the owner of the small street restaurant. "I'll have a Northern Smoked Chicken, please."

"A Satisfying Salad for me, please," Noelle requested.

"Got it," said Sara. "And you want them to go?"

Roxas nodded, handing her a pouch of Mora.

Sara got to work, throwing together two boxed meals for Roxas and Noelle.

BGM: At Dusk, I Will Think of You - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Roxas took a bite of his chicken. "Mmm...thash shome good shtuff right there."

"Swallow first," Noelle laughed, munching her salad. "You'll get food all over your clothes."

Roxas sent his chewed-up chicken down the hatch. "Hey, just curious, but why'd you order the salad? I thought you'd be more into protein. Helps build muscle."

"Oh, it does, and I enjoy a nice plate of meat as much as anyone else," said Noelle, "but I just love salad for some reason. I have it for nearly every meal."

"Every meal?" Roxas eyed her. "Don't you get sick of eating it?"

"Not at all!" replied Noelle. "I've been eating it for more than ten years now."

"You...are really strange, you know that?"

"Oh...I should've guessed you'd find that weird..."

"I didn't say it was a bad thing." Roxas smiled at her. "Honestly, that's part of what makes you so special in Mondstadt. Everyone sees how different you are - how you're so willing to go out of your way just to help people you barely know - and they admire that. I know I do."

Noelle blushed. "It's...just part of my job."

"You...remind me of someone," said Roxas. "A friend of mine. He can make friends with just about anybody, and anyone he calls a friend is someone he'll do anything for. I don't even know why he's like that, he's just that nice for some reason."

"Oh?" Noelle was intrigued.

"Heh..." Roxas smiled wistfully. "I wish you could've met Sora."

"Is that his name?"

Roxas nodded. "He's...well, he's not dead. But...after a great battle that he fought...after he defeated a man named Xehanort...he disappeared. He misused something called the Power of Waking to bring back everyone after we'd all died in the fight against Xehanort, and reality itself kinda punished him by banishing him to an alternate reality...an un-reality, if you could call it that."

"He allowed that to happen just so he could bring back his friends and save the world..." Noelle smiled. "That's the sort of person I aspire to be."

"You don't have to," said Roxas. "You already are that sort of person."

Noelle blushed even harder. "R-Roxas..."

"First-name basis, huh?"

"Oh! S-Sorry, Honorary Knight."

"No, no, keep calling me by my name. Honestly, I don't care much about the title anyway. I mean...I don't dislike being associated with the Knights...but that's not all I wanna be known for. I just wanna be known as...Roxas. I want to be my own person."

"You are your own person, Roxas," said Noelle.

"But I still have a lot to learn about myself...about my heart." Roxas placed a hand over his chest. "That's why I came to Teyvat. To learn more about myself on a journey of my own."

"So...it's true then."

"What is?"

"You're really from another world, aren't you?"

Roxas nodded. "I thought that was common knowledge. The existence of other worlds, I mean."

"It is," said Noelle. "No one really talks about it, though. But...now I'm curious...what's your home like?"

Roxas grew wistful again. "I live in a place called Twilight Town. There, it's always sunset. It's a small town, nothing much special about it aside from the sunset...but it's home. And I wouldn't have it any other way."

"A world where the sunset never ends...it sounds beautiful," Noelle breathed. "I'd love to go there sometime."

"Maybe I could bring you with me if I ever go back," Roxas offered.

"I'd like that."

"You know...that's why I wanted to have dinner with you up here," said Roxas. "My two closest friends and I do something similar at home all the time. We get ice cream and meet up on the top of the clock tower that's atop Central Station, and we have ice cream together."

"I'm sure we could've gotten ice cream, too," said Noelle.

"I doubt they make sea-salt ice cream here," Roxas mused. "Besides, even if they did, I'm not sure you'd like it."

"I'd be willing to try it if you find some," Noelle assured him. "Or maybe if I ever visit Twilight Town, I could join you and your friends atop the clock tower. W-Would they mind?"

"They'd love the extra company," said Roxas. "The more, the merrier. My friend Lea especially likes meeting new people. But if you do ever meet him, just know that...he's a bit hot-headed. In a good way. He's got that fiery passion, y'know?"

"I can respect that sort of enthusiasm," said Noelle. "Hey...Roxas."

"Hm?"

"You said you have ice cream with your friends all the time, right?"

He nodded.

"Maybe...we could do this every day," said Noelle. "Here, atop the cathedral, eating dinner together...would that be okay?"

"I...that's a great idea." Roxas finished off his chicken. "But I'm not always gonna be in Mondstadt."

"That's okay," said Noelle after swallowing the last bite of her salad. "We'll just do it whenever you're here, then."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Roxas?"

"Yeah?"

Noelle leaned her head on his shoulder, wrapping her left arm around his neck. "Thank you for spending today with me. It...It feels nice...knowing that I have someone to call a friend."

Roxas smiled, letting his cheek rest atop Noelle's head. "Noelle...even when I'm not in Mondstadt...I'll always watch the sunset and just...maybe imagine you're there with me. At dusk...I'll think of you."