SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 104 out, I present Chapter 105 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?
Pairings: Albedo/Sucrose, Zhongli/Mitsuko/Kazuha, One-sided Diluc/Mitsuko, One-sided Diluc/Jean
Disclaimers: Genshin Impact and Sailor Moon belong to miHoYo and Takeuchi Naoko-sensei respectively. Me, on the other hand, own absolutely nothing, except the plot, I hope.
Chapter 105: Teyvat Arc: Summertime Odyssey, Part Thirteen
In the Domain...
"We've returned here once more." Fischl remarked, the group finding themselves back in the planetarium.
"Looks like the story's not finished yet." Paimon noted. "Let the adventure continue! It's another star." she spotted another Tranquil Starlight leaving the Exquisite Chest the Traveler opened. "Seems almost like it's waiting for something." she stated, said Tranquil Starlight hovering over the pool. "There's another star here." she blinked, another Tranquil Starlight leaving the opened Exquisite Chest. "Was the first star waiting for this one?"
"Wait, how the..." Mona gaped, the group entering the mirage portal and finding themselves in Mon's rented room.
"Another house in Mondstadt?" Kazuha mused.
"What are we doing in my house?" Mona demanded.
"This is your house?" Fischl gawked.
"How unexpected." even Oz was impressed. "I heard Lady Megistus lived a modest life, but this abode..."
"Look at the labels on these books on the ground." Paimon noticed the book stacks. "'Only one of its kind, 990,000 Mora'. That's super expensive!"
"There are so many expensive-looking hardcovers over here." Xinyan was awed. "So this is what an astrologist's room looks like."
"The rooms are exquisitely designed." Kazuha took in the décor. "This place must be very expensive."
"I'm just occasionally out of Mora, that's all." Mona defended. "I never said I was a pauper."
"You're not?" Fischl exclaimed. "So, what about those times I treated you to meals? And had you over to my place for dinner?"
"Not to interrupt, but perhaps we should start working on the puzzle at hand?" Oz suggested. "Ever since I entered this place, I have found myself most preoccupied with that ornament." he turned to the Hydro-powered armillary sphere.
"Astrologists are able to understand the most complex signs among the stars." Mona related, the group reentering the starry maze once she touched the sphere. "And because of this, we are not allowed to show any arrogance. If one believes that astrology grants them unlimited power, they will face banishment by the stars. In the past, I was ignorant enough to think that I understood all fates in the universe. Maybe it was some form of punishment, but I became lost. I couldn't see the stars any longer. 'You should not get confused. If you should become confused one day, not even astrology will be able to help you then.' That's what the old hag said. We astrologists can't predict our own fate. But today, those words seem to carry a different meaning. I understand now that people won't always follow a beacon's guiding light. Even though the way forward may be dark and dangerous, they will still resolutely forge ahead. Fate is called such precisely because it cannot be altered or reversed. I understand the governing laws of the universe and have glimpsed secrets between heaven and earth. Observing it is enough for me, there's no need to force it to change. There are no perfect legends, and no heroes that can save everyone. Instead of dwelling on my helplessness, what I should do is seize my own destiny. Looks like it's coming to an end again." still following the Tranquil Starlight, the group dropped through the misty ground.
"What a magnificent view." Fischl gushed, taking in the starry night sky.
"Lady Megistus, I believe this is the firmest evidence yet of your immense genius." Oz stated. "You truly are the greatest archmage in the history of the Immernachtreich."
"Stars like diamonds, and the moon like a pearl." even the well-traveled Kazuha was held in awe. "This is the most brilliant night sky I have ever beheld."
"To call up such a mirage, Mona must have a vast and boundless sea of stars in her heart." Xinyan praised.
"I'm just thinking, these must be the things that we aspire to." Mona started. "This night sky is incredibly beautiful. In fact, I might go so far as to say it's even more beautiful than what I usually see in divinations. All the stars are in their rightful place. This is definitely my mirage. Only here can I see extraordinary sights like these. The night sky of Teyvat is truly marvelous. All the answers in the world seem to have been hidden within. 'When is my missing son going to be found?', 'Do they love me or not?', 'Will I ever recover?'. As your stars move across the sky, they record all your life events in their path. And among all the people in the world, a considerable number will see their stars deviate from their path. When your stars are on track, it means you will be healthy, happy, and at peace. Conversely, if your stars go off track, everything will get worse. The starry sky in my divinations would never look as perfect as this. Some stars would lose their way, and others would fall. I wish everyone could be happy and stay on track. To this end, I offer advice and tell the truth. I know it's useless. All fates are already revealed in the night sky, with mine, too, just another among them. I can't change anything. Even so, outside of astrology, outside of the words of truth, I still cling to the wisp of an irrational fantasy. We must all live within the confines of reality, but In this vast sea of stars, there are stars for you, for me, for everybody. call me presumptuous, but I still believe in miracles. What are the chances of one star encountering another? Are these encounters not the most wonderful miracles in all of destiny? I don't know. But within Teyvat, the stars in the sky will always have a place for us. Even if astrology is resolutely rational, fate remains arbitrary, cruel, but romantic. I think I have figured out what those stars are hiding. 'Now, I will seize my own destiny.'" she declared determinedly. "There was a transparent bird made of crystal." she started the cutscene after capturing the Tranquil Starlight. "It was beautiful and fragile and could sing the most beautiful songs. But since mortals couldn't even see it, they believed it to be a trick. How could a transparent bird possibly exist, let alone sing? When the bird heard that, it flapped its wings and flew across mountains and seas, all the way to the night sky, where it turned into a star. Its brilliance was so dazzling that it illuminated everyone; it allowed all those that could see it to follow its light through the dark night, to sail through the seas under the guidance of the stars. It was born in wisdom, but trapped in ignorance. It has never voiced a complaint, for this is its destiny: guiding people to see their destinies is the very meaning of its existence."
Outside the Domain...
"We're back here again." Paimon looked at their surroundings, finding themselves back on the beach they were originally on. "So, are we completely out of the mirage?"
"How strange." Mona mused. "My mirage didn't contain any hints on the Fatui or the machine. Does that mean they had nothing to do with these mirages after all? Or perhaps these mirages are a mere consequence, and not part of a process at all? These mirages were not steps towards solving the mystery, but rather a direct effect of whatever is going on. Someone did something to bring the mirages into being. As they were just passive side products, it was natural that they couldn't provide us with any useful information."
"Everyone, maybe we should go back to where this whole thing began." Kazuha suggested. "During our first day on the island, Traveler and I checked out the Fatui camp together. We found a strange machine there, as well as some disoriented Fatui. The researcher who spoke to us claimed that the machine was just a Fatui industrial invention. He even promised not to disturb us. I wonder, is it possible that 'madness' and 'mirages' are two different outcomes of the machine's influence? If so, everything can be traced back to that damaged machine — except for the difference in how it affects people. This, I believe, is caused by differences between the affected people themselves."
"When you put it that way, it is indeed difficult to distinguish dreams and hallucinations." Mona agreed. "So, what you're saying is, the device affected us differently because we are different from the Fatui?"
"Yes," Kazuha nodded. "And according to our observations over these past few days, I think the difference is that we all have stronger willpower."
"In other words, we should go back to the Fatui camp and destroy that machine right away." Paimon concluded.
"No, it should be repaired, rather than destroyed." Fischl disagreed.
"It pays to be cautious." Kazuha concurred.
"If my guess is correct, that machine is capable of influencing the human brain." Mona cautioned. "So, we'd better tread carefully."
SailorStar9: Any OOC-ness is regretted. *Grins* Don't you just love plot bunnies sometimes? Reviews are much appreciated.