Chapter One

Rough From Both Ends

To say his current situation was a might bit strange would've been a massive understatement.

Like, really, there wasn't any other way he could've put it. One didn't just fall asleep to wake up somewhere else. And if you had said to him "Maybe you just forgot what happened the previous night" or "Well, maybe a family member or friend moved you somewhere else" that would be a fair assessment.

Except he was on his death bed.

No, literally, he was in the process of dying from a terminal brain tumor. The doctors had estimated that he had maybe a few months left to live. Less if he physically strained himself too much. Something about the tumor being on a particularly bad section of his brain. Hadn't really paid much attention to it, being lost in his shock as he was for the several long minutes, inevitably descending into quiet crying and wondering if God or the fates simply hated him.

The worst to him was how fast it had progressed, leaving him incapacitated and bedridden in less than a month, with every nerve ending feeling as if it were on fire whenever he attempted to move.

…He was getting off track.

In what felt like one moment, he was falling into what he was sure was going to be another fitful slumber, the seizures that followed usually waking him up multiple times throughout.

In the next, he found himself staring upwards, not at the pallid white of the hospital ceiling, but a warm beige, and a small wooden chandelier bearing unlit candles. Laying in the warm lap of a woman with striking yellow eyes, long dark brown hair tied in a ponytail hanging over her shoulder that smiled down at him, feeling her caress his cheek with a finger.

Needless to say the entire thing threw him through a loop.

…It was relaxing, though. Being propped up by the woman and held to her busom while swaddled in a blanket. Being held by whoever this woman was, getting smiled at. It was… nice. Something he hadn't felt in honest-to-God years. And he wouldn't of minded letting the scene just keep going as it was, until he inevitably had another seizure and got thrown back into the waking world.

Then the whole thing promptly shattered like glass when he heard a door open somewhere beyond his range of vision.

Despite his efforts, he found he couldn't turn his neck to face towards the noise. Luckily, he didn't need to. The woman adjusted her hold, letting him see a man who just entered his thirties walking through the door with a cheery smile.

Short, yet well maintained black hair, striking blue eyes, and a rugged face that would turn a few ladies heads were the things he noted first beyond the pep in his steps, though everything else left him a little confused.

His clothes looked a cross of fantasy and medieval. White t-shirt with brown embroider under a leather vest tied together down the middle of the front with thick string. Pants a darker shade of brown, clearly worn with a few spots having been stitched over with new fabric, flowing to and under sturdy-looking black boots.

Though what got him most was the sword. Mostly because swords were so obsolete nowadays that wearing one at the hip would get you laughed at, or have the authorities lock you up for being a potential crazy person and a possible threat.

Likely both.

One hell of a dream to have. Though it said a lot about his own mind and how it thought of itself. He always did feel out of place back home anyways.

…Though he could've sworn he recognized the guard of that blade somewhere. The green and gold arrows pointing in opposite directions were a little unique. Where had he…?

"How are my two most favorite people in the world?" The man gave a toothy grin, walking over and giving the woman a backwards embrace.

She smiled, returning the chaste kiss he gave when he leaned over. "Good! Our little one's been an angel while you were gone. Has not been fussy once" She pulled the man up, rubbing her cheek to his own, and he noted with bafflement how easily she did so. Let alone how big she had gotten while doing it. "I think he's getting used to me!"

"Finally!" The man laughed, reaching over and rubbing his head quickly, though with surprising roughness. Felt like his brain was getting jumbled up! "Had to happen sometime, right?"

"It took weeks! Weeks for him to recognize his own mother!" She despaired, pressing him into her bosom as she complained. "I gave birth to my darling little boy, carrying him for almost nine months before bringing him into this world, and he was scared of me! Scared of his mother and crying fat tears when he's left alone with me too long! Honestly… this is the first time I was able to hold him without any of that and feel like an accomplished mother!"

"Well, that's good, right? I-I mean, that he's finally adjusting to you being in his life!" He clarified quickly as she begun glaring at him. "Not all babies are used to their parents in the beginning. Remember Gloria's stories about Grace when she was his age?"

"…She wouldn't stop thrashing, was always in tears, and broke quite the selection of toys for the daughter of a priestess." She answered with a little amusement in her tone, even as she returned to looking at the child in her hands, the chair creaking a bit all the while as she adjusted her hold, with some confusion and sadness. And wasn't that just awkward to say being the one she held tight, even understanding the fact that all of this was but a figment of his imagination. "Okay, that's fair. Still, it's one thing to hear it from someone else. But having it happen to you…? It... hurts, you know?"

The man-turned-babe felt his stomach churn a little at that, and he expressionlessly wondered… what kind of thoughts he was having now? He certainly hadn't called for this. Let alone something so… opposite to his own life until now. One that stood out like nail left in him that others continuously hammered back into his body to never let him forget. It was a startling contrast. And it was one he didn't wish to see continue if he could help it.

Slowly, and with great focus – what with him currently being a literal infant and all, motor functions were understandably hard to control – he reached an arm up, prying it free of the blanket he hadn't realized he was wrapped in, and pressing it to her cheek.

The sensation was stark to him, even more so than before, but the reaction he'd gotten the reaction he had been aiming for. She startled, eyes going wide as she stared at him.

Now, at this point, he had wanted to say "Sorry for how this one's been treating you. Kind of uncalled for. You look like a good mother." Or something along those line.

Of course, being a baby of… hell if he knew. Maybe a few weeks or more? In either case, all of it had rather understandably came out as random gibberish.

Motor control was one thing. But there were some things no one can manage.

She stared blankly at him for a few seconds before asking her husband. "Did… did he just try to comfort me…?"

His smile couldn't have been bigger as he leaned on her chair with an arm. "I think he did!"

The change was gradual. Starting out with a gaping mouth. Then her eyes started getting teary, followed by a wobbly smile. After that, everything else was a literal blur; as in he suddenly found himself planted face-first into her breasts as she squeezed him tight.

"My baby's a little angel…!" She sniffled quietly.

And clearly forgetting just how strongly she was holding him, and failing to note through her tears how he'd begun turning blue.

"U-uh… honey? Honey, you're- you're smothering him." His 'Father' sweatdropped. Putting a hand on her shoulder and giving her a little shake when she failed to hear him. "Sweetie, he's getting asphyxiated."

'Really gonna need to thank the guy next time…!" He quietly stated to himself as his words finally connected with her, giving a small squeak of response as she finally loosened her grip and watched with worry as he took several deep gasps of air. 'That was actually starting to hurt!'

Then he froze.

'Wait… hurt?'

But… wait, that didn't seem right. From what the doctors had mentioned when he had asked, folks would, at most, feel around thirty percent of real life sensations in dreams, and usually only pain hit that extreme number. Not that it related to himself much, in this case. His senses of pain after seizures mostly ended in aches and pains, which admittedly could get pretty bad. But he took pain medications for those!

Which made him think up one particular question.

'This is a dream… right?'

Unless it wasn't.

Unless he'd died in his sleep and passed on. Into the body of a baby, with all his memories somehow intact. And into a world that appeared far more basic than the one he had come from.

It was one thing to read those ReincarnationMangas and Novels, but he certainly did not expect to be brought into that through that very method!

'…Nah. No- no way.' He stated, or at least attempted to state to himself convincingly. 'All this is just one thorough and unusual dream. It has to be! I mean, I recognized his sword from somewhere, right? It's probably from some game or show from way back when!'

That much was genuine. He knew he had seen it from somewhere before. And considering he had a hard time remembering what game or show or movie that was, it stood to reason that it was one of the older ones from perhaps a decade or so back. Heck, he played them so much that dreaming he was there himself was a fairly common one, as far as things went.

So this had to be a dream.

It had to be!

And then, almost like a last laugh at his expense by whatever deity out there that despised him all his life, he began to feel his stomach grumble in complaint.

His face paled.

'Oh God no…' He thought quietly in his head for all of a second. It grumbled again. 'Oh god- please, no. Please no. Y-you can't do this to me, YOU CAN'T-'

He was sure that they had devolved into guffawing when the wife sniffed at the air, then looked back at him.

"Oops!" She started, holding him aloft in the air. "Little Dom' made a poopy!"

"I believe it's your turn to do that today, Mel." The husband stated quickly, taking a few steps back in caution.

She rolled her eyes at him as she stood, looking at the man in disappointment. "Oh, for Archon's sake, Franklin. He peed on you once. Once! You know babies do that!"

The two of them proceeded to get into an argument over baby care, somehow ignoring the fact, even as they set him on the table to change his diaper, that he had turned pale as a ghost.

'It's real…' He bemoaned to himself, the other too occupied to notice his despondent expression, nor the tears in his eyes. 'All of this is real…! I died and ended up born in another time! And I just shit myself!'

He wailed in his head ceaselessly. The horrors of being born anew setting in as he recognized that not only would he be going through… this while being fully aware this time around – breast feeding was something he prayed to god that they didn't do – but everything else following that.

Childhood. Schooling. Puberty- 'Oh god, why Puberty?! Once was enough, thank you very much!'

It was an understandably horrifying notion. And he desperately wanted something- anything to take his mind off it.

His wish was answered in the strangest of ways when, after his… he guess he could say 'Mother' now, that's what she was to him now, finished wiping his bum clean. Raising a hand in the air, he was startled to find a light breeze unexpectedly brush along his backside. Which was pretty weird. There weren't any open windows he could find within his limited sightline. He guessed she was a Magician, or someone who trained to be one at some point.

Magic was awesome. Magic was good, and something lovely to think about over the loss of his dignity.

Franklin chuckled from behind her. "I know I say this enough as it is, Melony, but seriously. Anemo is surprisingly handy for mundane uses, eh?"

She gave a quiet snort while she worked, not quite hiding the small smile she had as she focused on keeping the breeze going at a moderate level.

For the babe, however, his mind stalled.

Anemo. He knew he recognized the term. Wind magic under differing terms. Something that you could only gain with a Vision. Something created by finding their centers or true selves, or the gods acknowledging them.

No- not gods. Archons. The very same that his mother had spoken.

Just as abruptly, everything began falling into place.

Anemo. Archons. His father's sword.

Genshin Impact.

'Oh, holy shit. I'm on Teyvat.'

His inner voice said it with such a degree of awe and terror. Recollecting just how fantastical, and how dangerous this place was. Countless beasts, gods, and abyssal creatures that he knew were once Human themselves roamed these lands. These awesome, beautiful, horrific lands; full of wonder and adventure that got many a player into it, despite the obvious paywalls.

He looked once more at his father- or rather, his sword, taking a couple seconds more to recognize the weapon as the pre-ascension Skyrider Sword; giving a base of increased energy recharge and a temporary increase to attack and movement speed for fifteen seconds after using an Elemental Burst.

Even after all this time, he still remembered that much. The halcyon days of when the game had first came out, had him memorize all of the first-

He stopped, realizing something important, and quickly moved his eyes to his mother. He knew it was somewhere on her person, but where-

Aha! On her hip towards the back! A green sphere bearing open wings, which itself was held aloft upon tri-feathered wings with a diamond tail on its bottom, and three spikes upon its top.

'Mondstadt.' He thought in relief, head slumping onto the table with barely a noise. 'I'm in Mondstadt.'

Or he hoped so, anyways. Difficulty scaling aside- which wouldn't mean much from reality muddying things up a bit in that regard – Mondstadt was one of the more friendly areas to start out with, and a good deal of avenues to work into. Liyue is a good fifty-fifty shot depending on what family he had been born into, and Inazuma at this point would be a nightmare to deal with, Vision Hunt Decree notwithstanding.

So yeah. Mondstadt.

Mondstadt was good.

He silently prayed for a few moments, hoping for good fortune one that front, up intelligence his new mother lifted him up into her arms once more.

She looked him over for a second with an expression of naked worry, which he blinked at, until her fears were assuaged and she grew a warm smile. Leaning down and giving a kiss on his forehead. Something that threw him through a loop because he had never gotten one of those before, let alone the incredible care she had for him in her eyes.

And somehow that led to what felt like one of the more startling revelations.

He had a family now.

Not like what he had previously, where you could only call them one in the barest of terms. This woman, who cradled his new, much younger form. Who treated him like one of her own – which he was now, he guessed – and had no hesitation in showing him affection. And the man, while nervous in helping to deal with his bodily functions – which he could get, it was as embarrassing for him too – still showed love in his own way, even if he hadn't seen much of it yet.

Not the distant and begrudging recognition of the fact like his old family, but true, proper love that he had almost failed to perceive himself, being absent from his life for all those years.

He… he honestly doesn't know how to react to that. It was a bad sign, he knew, but… all of a sudden, he went from having a family that barely tolerated his existence to another that loved him dearly. And he knew that could change in the future as he got older but…

If this was real… truly real, then…

He… wanted to keep that if he could. Protect it. That's what love was, right? Fighting to protect and nurture the things you cared for?

The place was completely terrifying. Just the thought of fighting a high-ranking Abyss member or Fatui, let alone a Harbinger of all things, froze his core into glacial ice. Even some of the basic Hilichurl's served to unnerved him a bit. One wrong move and… well, that'd be it.

But it wasn't as if he was already without options. He could still likely find a mundane job here if he really wanted it. And with his knowledge from his own world, he was certain he could make a mint off it if he really put his mind to it. Or, if he really wanted to actively involve himself in the story… well, his father was clearly a swordsman. He could teach him what he could and become an adventurer. If he was lucky, he could join the Knights of Favonius. Network there, make a few allies while increasing his own strength. Maybe unlock his own Vision if he could.

His aim wasn't to be a hero, gods no. He knew how bad those folks had it. Usually ended up more scarred and jaded than anything by the time it was over with. …Though maybe he could point the protagonist in the right direction and save a few lives in the process.

No, his aim was to simply survive.

To live.

Right now, however, the most he could do was enjoy what time he had as a child in the most literal sense.

'Still, though. Please be Mondstadt!'

-
Eleven Years Later…
-

The nation of Mondstadt was a place best described by others as Unique. Due to their Archon, the fabled lord of freedom Barbatos, receding from recorded history for well over a millennia; leaving their people to govern themselves save for very rare instances beyond their ability to control. The latter due to how strongly they would react to any threat that would dare try to impede on those god given rights. More so in this lifetime in part because of the existence of the Knight of Boreas Varka- or the Titan Knight, as he was better known in more faraway nations. Most who knew him regarded the man as jovial and personable, but someone you did not want to get on the bad side of; stating him as the reason the cliffs of Wolvendom even had cliffs in the first place. Though whether or not that was hearsay was left up to the individual.

Though one point all would agree on is how safe the nation was. Due to the lack of any hostility from its neighbours, and the lands being in a constant state of late spring making crops plentiful and bountiful – no doubt a boon from their Archon – was there any wonder why so many from other nations made great pains to migrate there?

Truly, the notion of freedom, drink and music had wormed its way into the hearts of many a soul.

Shame that it was abused so readily, as it was in the case of one boy who was currently getting the snot kicked out of him by a bunch of other kids in one of the back alleys of the city proper. With a bag of Mora, his Mora, being held in the hands of one of the other little shits. A short blonde with quite the belly on him who was standing a few feet behind the ones currently assaulting him.

"Ah, you always come in the nick of time, Dominic." The boy sneered at his victim, who was currently in the fetal position trying to protect his head and organs. "Y'know, we really should do this more often!"

The aforementioned Dominic didn't say anything other than grunts or gasps, on account of currently receiving the beating of his life.

This went on for a few more minutes until they grew tired of hitting on something that wouldn't fight back. One of them, a lanky black-haired boy clearly from Liyue aimed for the nuts, making him flinch and lower his hands to his junk long enough for another to take a hard hit to his head that left him sprawled on the ground; dazed and clearly out for the count.

"Welp! We'd best be off." Their leader smirked as another took the time to spit on him for good measure. "See you next time Domishit!"

The rest of his cronies unsurprisingly laughed at this, as if they'd never heard a good joke in their lives before.

Frankly, Dominic would've found it sad if the developing goose egg on his forehead didn't throb every time his heart beat.

He would've fought back, but after the last time, when the knight who came across the entire fiasco immediately took their side over his – which was probably exacerbated by how ratty and worn down his clothes looked. Worn down and dirty white shirt and green vest with equally dirty pants and shoes did little to help – left him considering the possibility of the guard hating him or being bribed into doing this.

An extreme thought, to be sure. But less so when one considered that every time an altercation happened between him and them, and he fought back, it was the same guard that appeared every time…

Dominic sighed, taking several minutes to let the pain and humiliation abate before getting up and walking away. Getting a few curious and disgusted looks from the various adults moving about as he made his way to the city's entrance. All the while, a single bitter thought lingered in his head.

'Truly, the fates shit on my soul once again.'

Lets be honest. This isn't a surprise.

I played this game back when it was just Mondstadt and Liyue. And though I stopped, that didn't mean I hadn't kept up with the game and it's story. The whole thing was genuinely fascinating, with mysteries upon mysteries overlapping.

In the process of writing this, I hope to do the game some justice in my writings, and make something enjoyable for everyone.