Chapter Text
Random Play — Sixth Street, New Eridu
Kirara had delivered the same apology so many times that she had started to imagine it printed on the parcel.
She held it against her chest while Wise examined the travel notes spread across his counter. Its wrapping was immaculate. Its address was legible. The little red mark beside the recipient's name, indicating a requested delivery window, was considerably less reassuring.
"It's not spoiled, is it?" Belle asked.
"No! It's a set of handmade writing brushes. I checked the protective case twice." Kirara looked down at her bag. "It's just that I promised to have it in Hanamizaka days ago. And then I got sent to a city that doesn't exist on any of our maps. Again."
Nekomata sat on the counter with one heel tapping its edge. "You found me, though. That's got to count for something."
"It does!" Kirara said immediately. "But I still have to finish my delivery."
Nicole had taken the unusual step of remaining silent for almost half a minute. Then she leaned across the counter and slid her newest proposal beneath Kirara's hand.
"Before you go, you might consider signing a nonbinding expression of interest."
Wise removed it.
"We're discussing a return journey," he said.
"Exactly. Which demonstrates demand for interdimensional logistics."
Anby read over Nicole's shoulder. "It also demonstrates that we have no logistics."
"Thank you, Anby."
"You're welcome."
Fairy projected the latest route assessment. The opening between Random Play and the Astral Express had remained observable. A separate connection to the meadow beneath Windrise's tree had appeared on several occasions, but never according to a schedule anyone could guarantee. Aether and Paimon were willing to escort Kirara back to Teyvat once the destination could be identified. The Express would supervise the crossing. After that, Kirara's journey home would proceed by ordinary roads and sea routes.
"It's slower than finding one of those strange doorways near Inazuma," Kirara admitted.
"And far less likely to deposit you in a third city," Wise said.
Nekomata swung down from the counter. "I'm going with her."
Nicole's eyes narrowed. "You have two commissions this week."
"Billy can cover the small one. The bigger one's not until next week."
"That's not a travel plan."
"Nope." Nekomata produced a folded itinerary. "This is."
Wise unfolded it. There were names of legitimate shipping agents, an estimated cost for a return berth, contact information for Aether, and a note identifying the Yashiro Commission as an authority that could help with entry arrangements. On the back, Nekomata had drawn a rather accurate picture of Kirara carrying a parcel over rooftops.
Nicole stared at the sheet. "You prepared this?"
"Had help from Belle. And that librarian on the train."
"Dan Heng," Belle supplied.
"Right. Him."
Wise scanned the figures. The return journey was feasible if both nations approved the arrangements and no one relied on an unknown gateway reopening. He was relieved to see the sentence written plainly under contingencies: IF THE PASSAGE CLOSES, WAIT WITH A CONTACTED LOCAL SPONSOR. DO NOT SEARCH FOR ANOTHER ONE ALONE.
Nicole looked at the costs and made a sound of genuine pain.
"Neko. You know we aren't rich."
"I know." For once Nekomata didn't turn the conversation into a joke. "Last time, she helped me because I was the only person who understood she wasn't trying to steal anything. She came back looking for me. I want to see where she lives."
Kirara's tails stilled. "Mana..."
Nicole studied them both. Her gaze went to the parcel, then to the handwritten itinerary.
"Seven days," she said finally. "After that you call me, even if you're still waiting on a boat. And you bring back receipts."
"Boss, you're the best!"
"I'm aware. Don't let it become a habit."
Billy, who had been listening while polishing one revolver, rose in triumph. "Our Neko is embarking on an interdimensional friendship mission!"
Anby took another bite of her hamburger. "Her return ticket has been included in the projected budget."
Nicole closed her eyes. "I need a cheaper universe."
Astral Express — The Departure
Pom-Pom had established a luggage limit for visitors traveling between the parlor car and Teyvat. This policy, the conductor explained, was not an infringement upon personal freedom. It was a response to what had happened when Stelle attempted to carry an entire display stand from a shop on Sixth Street.
"I was going to bring it back," Stelle said.
"It was attached to the floor!" Pom-Pom replied.
Nekomata placed her travel bag on the designated mat. It contained spare clothes, food, a small first-aid kit, and enough money for an ordinary return journey. Nothing inside was connected to Ether equipment or Hollow investigation.
Aether inspected the final connection through an observation window. Windrise appeared beyond it, sunlit and motionless except for the long grass stirred by the breeze. Welt's instruments confirmed that the meadow visible on the other side matched their previous observations. He was careful not to call the passage safe.
"The destination is consistent at present," he told them. "If anything changes while you're crossing, don't pursue it. Return to the last known safe side."
"Understood," Aether said.
Paimon hovered beside Kirara. "Paimon still can't believe you've been walking around with that package through two whole worlds!"
"It's my job!"
"Even so, Paimon's never seen an express delivery take this long."
Kirara's ears drooped. Nekomata reached across and gently pushed Paimon away from the parcel.
"Maybe don't make the poor courier feel worse, meow."
Paimon blinked. "Paimon wasn't trying to!"
March appeared with her camera and promptly wanted a farewell photograph. Nekomata posed with a hand curled beside her cheek. Kirara held the parcel and smiled, although the prospect of another photograph when she was already late made her nervous.
Himeko approached after March had finished. "Amber has agreed to meet you at the tree and accompany you to the city. Jean is arranging a formal briefing. You won't have to explain everything to the first patrol you encounter."
"Good," Aether said. "There's enough to explain already."
"That may be the understatement of the week," Welt observed.
Kirara looked through the doorway. The wind reached her first. It was cooler than the air aboard the Express, carrying the scent of meadow grass and distant trees.
Nekomata inhaled. "Oh, that's nice."
"Wait until you see the mountains," Kirara said.
They crossed together.
The sound of their footsteps changed. Polished flooring gave way to soil, and the ceiling above them became the branches of an enormous oak. Nekomata turned immediately, seeking the edges of the opening. The Express remained visible long enough for March to wave again. Then the passage contracted into a silver line and disappeared.
For several seconds, she simply stared at the place it had been.
"Well," she said, "guess we're really here."
Kirara had already begun examining the road toward Mondstadt. Aether knew the route by heart.
An approaching figure in red waved from the slope.
"Aether! Over here!"
Amber jogged toward them, slowing when she noticed Nekomata's ears and tail. To her credit, the Outrider showed only a flicker of surprise.
"I'm Amber. Welcome to Mondstadt."
"Nekomata," the newcomer said. "Thanks for meeting us."
"No problem. And Kirara, right? I remember your name from Aether's message."
Kirara bowed. "Thank you so much for helping!"
Amber looked at the parcel, then at the itinerary. "I've already spoken with the harbor office in Liyue about the next available passage east. But first, you'll need something to eat and a record of where you're headed."
"You had Paimon at 'eat,'" Paimon said.
Nekomata glanced at Aether. "Is everyone in your world this helpful?"
"No," he said. "We were lucky to meet Amber first."
Amber laughed and started up the path. "Come on. If we're going to get you to Inazuma, we should keep moving."
Mondstadt — The City of Freedom
Nekomata decided that Mondstadt was the sort of place someone might build if they loved wind more than straight lines.
The city rose around its cathedral and high windmills, its white stone walls washed golden by the afternoon sun. Flags snapped from the battlements. A musician played near the fountain. There were no motorcars, no overhead advertisements, and not a single Bangboo carrying a parcel larger than itself.
"You have machines?" she asked as they climbed the steps from the gate.
"Of course," Amber said. "Just... probably not the kinds you're used to."
"What about the giant bird thing on that roof?"
"A windmill."
"Oh. It does the spinning part for free?"
Amber laughed. "When the wind cooperates."
The city had seen strangers before, but few looked quite like Nekomata. A child asked whether she belonged to a traveling circus. His mother hurried to apologize. Nekomata crouched and answered that she was a traveler who could outrun most grown-ups. The child immediately challenged her to a race. She declined on the grounds that Amber looked capable of writing a very stern report.
At Good Hunter, Kirara ate quickly, repeatedly checking the parcel beside her. Nekomata did not tease her this time. She watched the vendors, the musicians, and the knights moving through the square, taking stock of how little people here understood about New Eridu.
Aether pointed out the Knights' headquarters. "Jean's expecting my full account once I get back from accompanying them to the port."
"She hasn't heard everything?" Kirara asked.
"Amber gave her an initial report. Since then we've learned about Skirk, Wanderer, and your earlier visit. The official briefing keeps getting longer."
"And now a foreign cat," Nekomata said.
"A visiting friend," Amber corrected.
That settled something in Nekomata's expression.
They spent the night at a modest guesthouse after Amber helped record the visit with the gate guards. Aether's familiarity with Mondstadt ensured they were not taken for smugglers. It also meant Nekomata had to resist the impulse to leap across rooftops simply to see whether she could.
At dusk, Kirara found her looking over the city wall.
"You could be home," Kirara said quietly. "You didn't have to come this far."
"Yeah. But then who'd complain about your choice of travel snacks?"
Kirara smiled, though she didn't look away.
Nekomata rested her elbows on the parapet. "When you left New Eridu the first time, I figured we'd never meet again. Then you walked into the store like it was the most normal thing in the world. I wanted to believe that things like that can happen twice."
"They can. Apparently they happen a lot now."
"And if the doors stop opening?"
Kirara considered the city below. "Then I still know someone across the sea. That's not nothing."
Nekomata's tail made a slow arc behind her.
"No," she said. "It isn't."
Liyue Harbor — Five Days Later
They reached Liyue by the established road through Stone Gate, stopping in towns and roadside inns rather than hunting shortcuts across unfamiliar mountains. Aether could have traveled much faster alone; Nekomata and Kirara were carrying responsibility for one another, and he treated that as more important than saving a day.
The harbor opened before them in a sweep of bright water and sails. Merchants shouted over stacks of goods. Porters maneuvered crates on wheeled platforms. The scent of sea salt, steamed food, and freshly cut lumber hung in the air.
Nekomata stopped at the top of the descending road.
"Now this," she said, "looks like a city that understands business."
"Wait until you meet some of the merchants," Aether replied.
The vessel they needed was already preparing to sail. Its captain had received Amber's introduction through a courier relay and knew Kirara by her Komaniya uniform. The unfamiliar passenger from New Eridu required a separate declaration: visitor, no commercial cargo, traveling under the courier's sponsorship and Aether's attestation.
"What do I write under place of origin?" the harbor clerk asked.
Nekomata regarded the blank space.
"New Eridu."
"Nation?"
"Uh. Different world."
The clerk stopped writing. His pen hovered above the page.
Aether produced the letter from Mondstadt. The clerk read it, frowned, and called his superior. After a discussion behind a screen, the supervisor returned with a second form and a look of profound fatigue.
"Temporary foreign visitor," she said. "Pending further verification. No claim that this establishes a commercial route."
"Fair enough," Nekomata replied.
Kirara made a note of the wording. Nicole would eventually ask about trade, and she wanted to be able to tell her exactly where ordinary freight rules ceased to apply.
That evening, as the ship cleared the harbor, Paimon counted the meals she expected to eat before Inazuma. The captain, a woman who had apparently survived much worse passengers, assigned Paimon a safe place to sit while the crew worked.
Nekomata climbed the rigging once before learning that sailors preferred people not to do that during departure. She apologized, helped secure a loose rope, and discovered that she actually liked the work.
Aether watched the coast recede. He had crossed these waters before. Back then, Inazuma had been a country he could barely enter. Now its ports were open to trade, and the Shogunate's restrictions had changed, but officials still had good reason to care who arrived from beyond the sea.
He looked at Nekomata adjusting a knot under the first mate's direction.
One unauthorized traveler was unlikely to threaten Inazuma. Hundreds would be another matter.
The knowledge made the journey feel rather different from an ordinary visit.
The Crossing — Open Sea
By the second day at sea, Nekomata had memorized the shifts of everyone on the upper deck.
She knew which sailor liked sweet tea, who could identify weather by the smell of the wind, and who kept checking a small portrait tucked into his jacket. She also knew that one of the crew had been paid to transport three crates of delicate lacquerware and was worried about the forecast.
When the storm reached them, those crates became everyone's problem.
Rain struck the deck in sheets. The ship rolled under a hard crosswind, and a securing line snapped with a sound like a whip. One crate shifted, struck a second, and slid toward the side rail.
"Get clear!" the first mate shouted.
Nekomata was already moving. She leaped across the wet planks, dug her claws into the wood beside the crates, and wedged herself between them and the railing. They were heavier than expected. The impact drove her backward.
Kirara reached her an instant later. A translucent shield flared around them, catching the spray and slowing the toppling load. The hull continued to pitch; the shield did not make the cargo weightless.
"Rope!" Nekomata called.
Aether caught the thrown line, braced against a bollard, and hauled it across the nearest crate. The first mate joined him. A second sailor tied off the loose end. With the cargo held, Nekomata slipped out from underneath.
The captain came down from the wheelhouse to inspect the damage. One crate had split along a seam. No one was injured, and the lacquerware within remained packed securely.
She stared at Kirara's fading shield. "I've sailed with Vision bearers before. Never seen one guard freight quite like that."
Kirara pushed wet hair from her face. "I work in deliveries."
"I gathered."
The first mate looked at Nekomata's scraped palms. "You all right?"
"They're not the worst scratches I've had." She flexed her fingers. "Could've used a forklift, though."
"A what?"
"Never mind."
Later, in the cramped cabin, Kirara insisted on examining Nekomata's hands. Her concern was disproportionate to the injuries, but Nekomata submitted to the bandages without complaint.
"You didn't need to catch it yourself," Kirara said.
"Neither did you."
"It was someone's delivery!"
Nekomata laughed. "Okay. That's a fair argument."
She watched Kirara work, careful even with the rough cotton wrapping. The courier had been frantic about her delayed parcel and yet had not hesitated when someone else's cargo needed saving.
"You really like this job, don't you?"
"I do." Kirara tied off the bandage. "When someone sees a package arrive, you can tell they were waiting for it. Sometimes it's a gift. Sometimes it's medicine. Sometimes it's just a brush or a letter, but it matters to somebody."
"Even when the delivery takes a detour through another universe?"
Kirara winced.
"Especially then, I suppose."
Ritou — Narukami Island
The island emerged through early mist, its harbor crowded with fishing craft and visiting merchant vessels. As the ship approached Ritou, Nekomata saw roofs shaped like none she knew in New Eridu, banners moving above wooden walkways, and guards watching the incoming passengers.
She had expected something more like Lumina Square. Kirara's stories had prepared her for shrines and mountains, but not for the quiet formality of disembarkation.
The Kanjou Commission officer asked her name, origin, intended destination, duration of stay, and sponsor. Nekomata answered plainly. The officer took one look at 'another world' and requested confirmation from a superior.
Kirara produced her Komaniya credentials. Aether supplied the stamped transit record from Liyue. Their combined documentation was sufficient to prevent immediate rejection but did not eliminate the need for a local arrangement.
They waited in a shaded office overlooking the harbor.
"Is there any country that doesn't need forms?" Paimon asked.
"Probably," Aether said. "I wouldn't bet on finding it today."
A friendly voice came from the doorway. "Sorry to keep you all waiting."
Thoma entered carrying a sealed note and a small satchel. He greeted Aether first, then Kirara, and finally turned toward Nekomata with the cheerful attentiveness of someone accustomed to meeting unusual visitors.
"You're the friend from New Eridu."
"That's me. How'd you know?"
"Your courier sent a notice to the local office as soon as a reliable message route opened. And the Yashiro Commission has been receiving some very interesting reports."
He presented the officer with a request for supervised short-term passage. The paperwork did not identify the newcomer as an ordinary Inazuman resident, and it explicitly forbade any commercial activity without further permits. It did, however, permit a limited visit while officials considered broader questions.
The officer stamped the document after reviewing it with his superior.
"Welcome to Inazuma," Thoma said once they were outside. "I hope you don't mind if I ask a few questions on the way to the city."
Nekomata tilted her head. "Depends whether I get lunch first."
"Oh, that can definitely be arranged."
Kirara laughed in relief.
As they passed the harbor stalls, Nekomata leaned close to her friend. "That guy's good."
"He's very nice!"
"That's not the part I meant."
Thoma heard them and smiled without turning around.
Inazuma City — Hanamizaka
By the time they climbed into Hanamizaka, Kirara had stopped looking at the scenery entirely. She was counting street corners, memorizing the turns she already knew, and checking that her parcel remained in its protective case.
Nekomata followed through a district scented with grilled fish, paper lanterns, and the faint sweetness of sakura. Children darted between shops. A vendor arranged trays of sweets. There was a gentle order to the place, but the rooftops presented so many inviting routes that she had to keep reminding herself she was a visitor.
Kirara stopped in front of a small workshop.
"This is it."
She straightened her uniform, adjusted the delivery bag, and knocked.
An elderly calligrapher answered. His spectacles sat crookedly across his nose, and his hands were flecked with ink.
"Komaniya Express?" he said. "I wondered when you'd get here."
Kirara bowed so deeply that her ears nearly touched the ground.
"I'm terribly sorry! There was an unexpected delay during transit. The package is safe, but I know it's very late, and if you'd like to file a complaint—"
"Young lady."
Kirara stopped.
The man accepted the parcel, removed the outer wrapping, and opened the protective case. Inside lay the handmade brushes, each nestled in cloth. He turned one in his hand and tested the balance against his palm.
"My granddaughter made these," he said. "She's studying in Liyue. She wrote that they were finished before she mailed them. I was worried the sea had swallowed them."
"They're all here," Kirara said softly.
"I can see that."
He looked up at the anxious courier, then at her companion's unusual ears and tail.
"Did you have trouble on the road?"
Nekomata opened her mouth. Kirara gave her a desperate look, and she decided that 'we crossed dimensions' was not the appropriate answer for a customer already concerned about shipping.
"A few detours," Nekomata said.
The calligrapher snorted. "The sea has never cared about schedules. Next time, send a note when you can."
Kirara's tails rose.
"You're not angry?"
"I was worried. That's different."
He signed the receipt and handed it back. Then he disappeared into the workshop and returned with two wrapped rice cakes.
"For the road. A courier ought to eat."
Kirara accepted them with both hands. Nekomata watched her friend's shoulders relax for the first time since they had met again at Random Play.
When they stepped back onto the street, Kirara sat on the edge of a low stone planter and held the signed receipt against her knees.
"Delivered," she whispered.
Nekomata sat beside her. "Yep."
"It's really delivered."
"Your customer got the brushes. You didn't lose anything. Even Paimon didn't eat them."
"Hey!" Paimon protested from the other end of the street.
Kirara began to laugh. It came out shakily at first, then with enough warmth that Nekomata joined in.
Aether waited until they had finished before asking whether Kirara wanted to send her employer the confirmation.
"Immediately," she said, standing. "I've never been happier to fill out a delivery report."
Kamisato Estate — The Next Morning
The invitation came through Thoma. It was not a summons, he took pains to explain, but the Yashiro Commission wished to understand the nature of Nekomata's visit and Kirara's unintended route.
Ayaka received them in a sunlit sitting room overlooking a garden. She listened to Kirara's account with the same quiet attention she gave any citizen who brought an unfamiliar problem to the Commission.
"You did well to return by a known route," she said when Kirara finished. "A passage that appears without warning is not an adequate foundation for regular transportation."
Nekomata nodded. "That's what Wise says. Constantly."
"Wise?"
"A friend who runs a video store." Nekomata considered the explanation. "It's a long story."
"You needn't tell it all at once."
Ayaka's hospitality made it easy to forget that every word was also becoming part of an official understanding. She asked whether New Eridu's Hollows resembled the domains in Teyvat, and accepted Nekomata's answer when it was simply no. They had strange environments and dangerous creatures, but their causes and risks remained separate from the phenomena familiar to Inazuma.
Thoma added a note to the visitor record. "The Commission can forward this to the appropriate offices. We can't issue trade licenses for a place whose lawful entry point isn't established."
"Nicole's going to hate that," Nekomata said.
"Is Nicole your employer?"
"Sort of. She's the boss. Don't let the money talk scare you off."
Kirara hurried to clarify that any discussion between Komaniya Express and the Cunning Hares was only an informal possibility. She had not signed anything, charged anyone, or promised her employer's facilities.
Ayaka looked pleased. "That was responsible."
The formal conversation ended there. Tea arrived, and Thoma brought a small plate of snacks for Paimon before the latter could discreetly ask for a third helping.
Nekomata moved toward the garden doors. "Can I look around?"
"Of course," Ayaka said. "Please avoid the northern training area while it's in use."
"Got it."
She wandered toward a line of trees in flower. Kirara followed her. The two cats stood beneath the blossoms without competing to climb anything.
"In case I don't get another chance," Kirara said, "thank you for coming."
Nekomata looked sideways at her. "You don't have to make it sound like goodbye."
"The worlds are very far apart."
"We crossed them once. We'll figure out an ordinary way to stay friends, too. Letters. Messages through Aether. Maybe your boss and mine won't argue about every shipping fee."
Kirara's ears twitched hopefully. "You really think so?"
"No idea," Nekomata admitted. "But I've got your address now. That's a start."
Under the trees, Ayaka watched them briefly from the veranda before turning back to Thoma.
"Have our visitors received assistance arranging the return passage?"
"I'm handling it."
"Good. And please send a copy of the incident summary to the Knights of Favonius. If Mondstadt becomes the regular receiving point, Acting Grand Master Jean should know how these journeys are affecting other nations."
Thoma smiled. "Already prepared."
Inazuma City — A Road Worth Remembering
Aether and Paimon remained long enough to make certain that the visitors had lodgings and reliable contacts. Nekomata had a confirmed place on the next westbound vessel, courtesy of a perfectly ordinary booking. Kirara's employer approved a short leave so she could accompany her friend around the city before departure.
Nicole received the first report through the supervised chain of messages. It confirmed that Nekomata was safe, the package had reached its recipient, and no commercial arrangement had been signed. Her reply contained six questions about costs and one instruction, in larger letters, demanding that Nekomata get home in one piece.
"She worries," Nekomata said when she read it.
"She does," Aether agreed.
The evening before he returned to Mondstadt by a familiar waypoint, Aether found Kirara outside the courier office. She was filing the signed receipt, carefully adding the unexpected transit days to the record instead of erasing them.
"Will your employer be upset?" he asked.
"Maybe about the delay. But I think they'll be happier that I told them what actually happened." She tucked the papers away. "You know, when I ended up in New Eridu months ago, I thought it was the strangest day of my life. I never imagined I'd go back and find a friend waiting."
Aether glanced toward the street. Nekomata was buying a bag of fish-shaped pastries. She was clearly attempting to negotiate an unreasonable discount.
"She came because she wanted to see you," he said.
Kirara watched her for a moment, smiling.
"I know."
Aether left them to their evening. He had another responsibility in Mondstadt: a formal account to Jean, including the discoveries no one had known when he first returned beneath Windrise's tree. Reports were also arriving from other nations. Fontaine, according to a message Amber had forwarded, had its own curious story about strangers who appeared during the old flood crisis.
That was troubling. The incidents were spreading backward through the history he thought he knew.
But it did not make what Kirara had accomplished less real.
When Nekomata returned with the pastries, she offered Kirara the first one. The courier accepted it, folded the wrapper neatly, and put the delivery receipt in the safe inner compartment of her bag.
It was the most ordinary document she possessed.
For today, it was the one that mattered.