Author's note: I do not own Honkai Star Rail, Genshin Impact, or Hoyoverse.

Chapter One

Dan Heng carefully turned a leaf in his newly-acquired historical book, absorbed in the detailed, first-hand accounts. Hmm… this is indeed very informational. I'll have to enter this into the data bank as soon as I'm finished. It might prove useful on our next Trailblazing expedition here. He shifted slightly, settling deeper into the lush cushions on the Parlor Car's couch.

His concentration was shattered by the sound of a nearby thump. He looked up, blinking, his mind slowly reacclimating to reality. "March… what trouble have you gotten into now?"

The girl peeked over the back of the couch, an embarrassed flush in her cheeks. "Why do you always assume it's me getting into trouble, Dan Heng?!" she complained.

He shrugged. "Because nine times out of ten, it is you getting into trouble," he responded simply. His friend rolled her eyes and disappeared behind the couch again. Dan Heng resumed his reading, but a tiny hint of concern niggled at the edge of his mind. After a moment he looked up again, his face clouding. "March, what are you doing behind the sofa?"

The lean young man was violently shushed by the couch. One eyebrow rose slowly.

Just then, the door opened with the hiss of compressed air. A tall redhead stepped into the Parlor Car, her eyes narrowed. Upon seeing the quiet fighter tucked into the cushions, her face cleared slightly. "Ah, Dan Heng. Have you seen March anywhere?"

The couch vibrated anxiously for an instant. Dan Heng masterfully avoided giving it a warning glance. "Why, what did she do this time, Himeko?"

Himeko sighed and crossed her arms over her white dress. "She broke my coffee bean polishing machine. Welt says we can't get the replacement part until we stop by Herta's Space Station." She huffed. "I'm almost certain she did it on purpose, too."

"Ah, I see." Dan Heng considered the problem for a moment. On the one hand, March had undoubtably gotten herself into trouble, and he agreed with the graceful woman's astute guess. But on the other hand… Himeko's awful coffee was notorious. She'd accidentally gotten the Express Crew kicked off a planet by sweetly offering a cup to one of their leaders. He'd taken one sip, assumed by the horrible taste that it was poison, and called for their arrest.

The team had banned Himeko from sharing coffee outside the Express after that. Come to think of it… no wonder March broke the machine.

"Perhaps it's time we visited Herta again, then," Dan Heng suggested diplomatically. The couch made a tiny cheering noise, and he kicked the base without bothering to look down. An insulted silence followed, but thankfully, Himeko was too deep in her thoughts to notice the interaction.

"Hm… That's not a bad idea, I was actually thinking the same thing. It's been a while since we last swung by. And since I need that replacement part so badly, this is certainly a good time to visit. All right, I'll let Pompom know of our decision after I clear it with Welt. Oh, but please tell March that she's going to be paying for the replacement." She gave the couch a stern look, revealing that she hadn't been fooled in the slightest. "She will also be helping Pompom water all the plants on the Express for the next month." With a satisfied nod, Himeko turned smoothly on one heel and swept out of the cabin, her long black coat swaying behind her.

The second she was gone, March struggled up from behind the sofa, indignation written all over her face. "What?! A whole month?! She knows I have issues watering the plants without accidentally hitting them with my Six-Phased Ice!" She fell forwards over the back of the couch and flopped onto the soft bench, scowling.

Mildly Dan Heng replied without looking up from his book. "Perhaps that's exactly why she wants you to do it. You can always use more practice with your ice, March."

Blowing out a long, defeated breath, March agreed reluctantly. "Yeah, I guess so." She sat up and swung her legs off the cushions, her mood changing instantly. "So, whatcha reading?"

"An In-Depth Guide to the History of Teyvat," Dan Heng said promptly.

March blinked at him. "That's it? You're reading a history book?!"

He still didn't bother looking up at her. "Why not? It contains valuable information about that particular planet, information that all of us could potentially find very pertinent on our next visit." He turned another page, brushing a few strands of black hair out of his face as he did so.

March kicked her feet, swinging them back and forth in a carefree manner. "Such as…? Please share some insights with me, oh wise one!"

Hm, March interested in history? Unusual, but there's no need to ask me twice. Obligingly he began, "Well, this particular area of Teyvat is ruled over by several archons. Each has his or her own nation that they control. In the past, there's been several wars, resulting in some rather drastic topographical changes. The natives of Teyvat are also occasionally gifted with something called Visions, which bestow upon them the power to wield different elements. Not everyone receives Visions, however, and the authors of this book seem slightly hazy on where the Visions even come from." Dan Heng lost his train of thought when his attention was captured by a new paragraph, and he stopped talking as he was drawn back into the eloquent writing.

"All right, it sounds pretty cool. We should stop there sometime," March admitted. "You'll put all of that into the data bank for later, right?"

Dan Heng nodded. "Of course."

They were interrupted by a slight jolt that ran through the Express. Dan Heng looked up sharply, his book forgotten. "What was that?"

March jumped to her feet, uncertainty in her wide eyes. "I-I don't know! The Express doesn't hit turbulence during a trip between planets, does it?" A more violent shudder rippled down the train.

Dan Heng snapped his book shut and stood, summoning his spear. "No." He sprinted to the nearest window and looked out.

His heart stopped.