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“Thank you for offering to watch over Klee and show her around the festival while I’m at the book signing. Klee is a sweet child but you know how energetic she can be. There’s also a restriction on fireworks and her bombs are probably banned too. Helping Xingqiu will keep me busy and I won’t be there to replace anything she breaks.” Albedo said to Mona. He adored his little sister but he wasn’t blind to her faults and how destructive her bombs could be.
They were on a boat sailing to Inazuma for the Irodori festival. As the illustrator for A Legend of Sword, Yae Miko requested that he participate in the event. He was uncertain whether he should agree at first because the trip would also last for a week and he could only imagine the trouble Klee would innocently cause. Also, he had his duties with the Knights of Fervorous. He felt grateful when Mona claimed she had business in Inazuma and she would help care for Klee.
Mona stood at the bow of the ship and she stared at Inazuma in the distance. Even with the vast sea between them, she could easily see the peak of the mountain and the Sacred Sakura that rested at the top. She didn’t tell him the true reason that she wanted to join the trip. She had a vision of the festival being consumed by fire. In the center of the chaos was Scaramouche.
She didn’t know what he was doing at the Irodori festival but her visions were never wrong. She would stop him before he hurt anyone on the island. The last conversation Mona had with him passed through his mind and her brows furrowed. She hadn’t been able to forget his cryptic words. The stars… The sky… It’s all a gigantic hoax. A lie.
“Mona, are you okay?” Albedo asked once he noticed how pensive her expression was. She quickly masked those worries beneath a forced smile.
“It’s okay. I was just worrying whether I bought enough mora for the trip. Inazuma has unique astrology tools I would like to buy but I also promised everyone that I’ll bring back souvenirs. I saved up some mora but that might not be enough to afford everything.” Mona told him.
She had decided that it was better not to tell her friends about Scaramouche or else they would be endangered. Scaramouche was able to pull himself out of his forced dream so he was clearly a strong opponent. Moreover, she would protect the festival from Scaramouche by herself so her friends could have fun. She should be able to sense his intention once she saw him and tell the electro archon. She should be able to quickly stop him.
“Since babysitting is a difficult task, we can treat it like a commission and I’ll repay any mora you spend on Klee. The Feiyun Commerce Guild has more than enough money to spare too.” Albedo offered and she shook her head. She considered them friends and she didn’t want to take his money. Mona was glad that Albedo didn’t question her lie.
“I’ll be fine.” Mona told him. “The Irodori Festival will be perfect.”
“Wow, Inazuma is beautiful!” Klee’s cheer caught their attention. She held onto the edge of the boat so she could see the city as they slowly docked. Her short legs dangled above the ground and Mona kept her from sliding to the ground with a light hand on her back. She also held onto her so she could stop her from climbing out of the boat before it was safe to do so.
Albedo stood next to them and he patted Klee’s head to get her attention. “Xingqiu and I have to go to the bookshop as soon as the boat docks so we can set up the tables. If you need me, ask Mona to bring you to the exhibit. She was kind enough to offer her help and you have to be a good girl for her. Oh, the traveller said he could introduce you to someone who can make fireworks.”
“Fireworks!” Klee’s eyes shimmered as she repeated the word. She tried to climb onto the ledge to jump over the last few feet to the dock. Mona caught her and she held the small girl in her arms. She couldn’t help but exchange a chuckle with Albedo over Klee’s pouting.
They finally docked and Mona waited to put Klee down until they were safely on land. They exchanged a few parting words with Albedo and Xingqiu before they left for their book signing. As she waved goodbye to them, she noticed Aether and Paimon in the corner of her eyes. Mona took Klee’s hand and she ran to greet them.
“Aether! Paimon!” Mona called their names. They weren’t able to respond before she thrust Klee into Aether’s arms. She ran around them and said, “I suggest you take Klee to meet the firework maker right away. I predict Yomiya will become too busy with the festival in an hour so you should go to her shop as soon as possible. There’s something I need to check on right now but I’ll join you later.”
She didn’t wait to hear their response before she ran up the steps and entered the city. Mona could only imagine how confused they were by her behaviour but she didn’t want to involve them in a conflict with Scaramouche. The Irodori was to celebrate Ei opening the region and have everyone enjoy the Shogun’s new eternity. She didn’t know how the Archon would react to Scaramouche’s presence but she could see it as a threat to her eternity. She was also worried for her friends’ safety.
Mona slipped into an alley so she could be alone. She leaned against the wall and then she summoned water in front of her to form a constellation wheel. The previous visions she had of Scaramouche at the festival had been vague. She hoped that she would be able to see the future better now that she was in Inazuma. Her water reflected the stars and she studied the constellation they created.
She closed her eyes and she saw herself standing in a crowd. In front of them was a stage where two men were performing a sword dance. She would look towards the rooftop and see Scaramouche sitting in the shadows. His sword glinted on his hip as he placed his hand on the hilt. Her vision became blurry after that because the future was still undetermined. What worried her was the unclear image of Scaramouche standing in the glow of fire.
No matter what his plan was, Mona would defend the festival and her friends.
Mona walked through the festival and she would glance up at the rooftop every few steps. She was careful not to divert from her prophecy so she wouldn’t miss her chance to find him. The future was a fickle thing and it could change in a moment. However, her talent in astrology was the best way to protect the festival without causing a panic.
The cheers of a crowd caught her attention and she turned towards the voices. She walked through the crowd to see what had their attention. On a stage, two men were performing a sword dance. The performance was elegant and entrancing but Mona couldn’t enjoy it. She turned sharply and searched the buildings for Scaramouche.
On top of the guild building, she saw the silhouette of a large hat. Mona wanted to immediately run to the building and face him but that would draw too much attention. She could allow Scaramouche to know that she found him or else he would run away. She used her vision to coat her body in water and she seemingly vanished beneath the ground. Mona stopped behind the building and she climbed the wall to the top. She pulled herself over the ledge and she turned to where Scaramouche stood.
She stood behind him so she couldn’t see his face. Scaramouche held his scabbard in one hand and he idly flicked his thumb against the tsuba. Yet, he never drew his weapon. The blade rose a sliver, reflected the sunlight, and then fell back into his scabbard. Mona stared at his back and she couldn’t sense any ill intent from him like when she first met him with the traveller.
Scaramouche unsheathed his sword and he knelt on one knee. To her confusion, he began to dance. He mimicked the dancers on the stage and he spun in a graceful circle. His sword was perfectly balanced and parallel to his arm as if it were an extension of him. He was so engrossed in the dance that he didn’t notice her as he danced. The sun was setting and it washed him in a golden glow that softened his features. If she didn’t know better, she would’ve mistaken him for a normal performer.
She found herself captivated by his dance and the conflicting emotions his dance portrayed. It was clear that he was well practised in the sword art from his fluid movement. On the other hand, his lips were pressed in a stiff line and sadness gleamed in his eyes. He appeared cold before and she wondered what happened to change him so much.
His steps slowed to a stop and he sheathed his sword. Scaramouche’s whisper was almost lost among the music and poetry reading below. However, she heard him. “Your sword dance puts the others’ to shame, Katsuragi. If I were you, I would laugh at the irony that your dance outlived them. Though, you would probably disagree. You were always a better person than me.”
Scaramouche turned to leave and his gaze met Mona’s. Shock kept him from moving at first and his stomach turned into knots. Why hadn’t he noticed that someone was watching him? He cursed beneath his breath and he gripped his scabbard. When he flicked the tsuba this time, the bells on his hand rang and sparks of electricity circled his hand.
Mona used her vision to draw water from the air around her and she prepared to fight. Bitter coldness returned to his eyes and erased the emotions she saw before. The sound of a loud crack above her drew her attention away from Scaramouche. Lightning plummeted towards her and she quickly dodged the attack. He took advantage of the brief distraction and he dashed past her. His movement was like jagged lightning and it contrasted his graceful dance from earlier.
“Stop!” She shouted and chased after him. In the back of her mind, she thought that it was strange that he didn’t try to fight her or attack the people in the festival. He was more focused on running away. Mona regained her composure and she ran after him.
She was able to catch up with him due to her talent in astrology. She tackled him and she grabbed his shoulder to stop him. Scaramouche turned to attack her. However, they were standing dangerously close to the edge when she reached him and his foot slipped off the building. Gravity pulled them down and they tumbled to the ground.
“Humans.” Scaramouche clicked his tongue. Despite the spite in the single word, he wrapped his arms around Mona and he turned them in the air so he would take most of the impact from the fall. They crashed into the stone ground and he groaned in pain. Neither moved because they needed to catch their breath after falling.
Mona recovered first and she sat up. She placed her hand on his shoulders to keep him from running away again. He only glared up at her and asked, “Did that woman send you to capture me? When you return to her, the only thing you will hand her is this message. She was wrong.”
“Who?” Mona asked and he realized that she wasn’t connected to Ei. During their last meeting, she was helping the traveller. He assumed that Mona would know Ei since they shared a friendship with Aether. Scaramouche carefully thought over what he should do next. He couldn’t allow his mother to discover him and take back the gnosis before he properly mastered its power.
After he betrayed Signora and took the gnosis for himself, he went into hiding. He was made to store the power of the gods yet Ei had taken the heart—his very purpose—from him. Scaramouche didn’t understand her reason but he vowed to never let that happen again. He needed time to master the gnosis and become accustomed to its drawbacks. Each time he drew on the gnosis’s power, he would be overwhelmed with the power of each archon who held it before him.
While he was hiding on Tsurumi Island, he heard news of the Irodori festival. His mind told him all the reasons he couldn’t risk going to the festival yet his heart longed to go. His heart had made countless things more complicated since he acquired it. He regretted his decision to attend the festival now.
“What are you planning to do?” Mona questioned and she created a water dial between them.
“I was going to leave but you stopped me. Can you get off me?” Scaramouche told her and he gestured for her to stand. Her frown deepened and he doubted that he could convince her that he didn’t plan to attack the festival. He tapped the water wheel and it surged with electro energy. “I can easily defeat you so I warn you to not test my patients.”
“You’re not lying.” Her eyes narrowed and she leaned down towards him so she could see his expression. She was so focused on reading the constellations in his eyes that she didn’t realize how close they were. Mona gasped when he pushed on her shoulder and she was forced to move off his lap. Scaramouche stood and he adjusted his hat.
“I’ll be taking my leave now.” He said and he hoped that she would let him be.
“You must be the most stubborn person I know.” Scaramouche groaned. He sat on a bench with Mona beside him. She had followed him most of the night and he couldn’t leave the festival. If he returned to the island with her following him, she would tell Ei where he was hiding. His only choice was to stay at the festival until he found an opportunity to slip away from her. “You’re an astrologist so you must know that I wasn’t lying to you.”
“I know.” She admitted. To her surprise, Scaramouche hadn’t lied to her once about his intentions or the stars. She thought a harbinger would be dishonest. He had countless secrets that he kept though. Mona thought of the vision she had of him framed by flames and she wished she understood him better. “However, that doesn’t mean you won’t change your mind and attack my friends.”
“Well, I’m going to enjoy the festival while I wait for you to get bored and stalk someone else.” Scaramouche stood and he walked into the crowd. Mona fell in step next to him and she held onto the hem of his sleeve so they wouldn’t be separated. He was mostly walking aimlessly without a destination in mind. He hadn’t been able to attend a festival in years and he forgot how overwhelming the crowd could be. The reason he disliked crowds was how lonely they made him feel.
There was a pleasant scent in the air and he decided to indulge in the food stands. He hadn’t been able to eat homecooked food while he was training on the island. Scaramouche stopped in front of a vendor and he opened his coin purse. He was glad still had a few mora from when he worked with the Fatui. In the corner of his eyes, he noticed Mona staring at the food.
“Two teriyaki skewers.” The vendor held out two sticks to him but he only took one. Scaramouche nodded to Mona and asked, “Aren’t you going to take yours?”
She hesitated at first but she eventually took the skewer with a polite thanks. Mona nibbled on the chicken to test it and she found it delicious. Even though she enjoyed the food, she questioned why Scaramouche bought it for her. He must’ve noticed her staring at him because he added, “I didn’t want you to steal my food. Don’t think that there’s any deeper meaning to this.”
“This is the first time I’ve visited Inazuma and it’s beautiful here.” Mona didn’t think she would have a chance to enjoy the festival because she was so focused on stopping Scaramouche. She looked around the street and she noticed a group of children gathered around a fish tank. Klee was among the children but she couldn’t see the traveller or Albedo with her.
Scaramouche noticed that Mona stopped walking and he followed her gaze. “That’s just a children’s game where you catch goldfish. It’s honestly a waste of money.”
“Fish blasting? Dear Archons, I need to stop her.” Mona grabbed his hand and she dragged him to the game. He was confused by her reaction but he allowed her to lead him to the game. Klee noticed them run towards her and she waved to them with a beaming smile. The little girl was oblivious to the panic on Mona’s face. She jumped to her feet to greet them.
“Look at this fish Yoimiya caught me, Mona. Yoimiya is my new friend and she won this fish for me. She’s great at this game! At first, I had trouble catching the fish because I can’t use my bombs. We only have these tiny scoopers.” Klee stared at their joined hand and asked: “Is that guy your new friend? Yoimiya can win a fish for both of you.”
“This game seems simple enough.” Scaramouche said and he twirled the paper scooper between his fingers. While the paper was fragile, he only needed to be swift and careful to catch the goldfish. His eyes tracked the fish, looking for the largest one among the group. He waited until it swam into a corner and tried to capture it. He grinned to himself as he lifted the fish out of the water, confident that he won.
The goldfish promptly jumped out of his scooper and splashed the group. Next to him, Mona laughed and she took out a napkin to dry Klee. Scaramouche let out a frustrated breath and he glared at the water. His pride pushed him to try again and he chased the fish with his scooper. However, he only seemed to be able to get their clothes wet. “This would be easier if I had a hydro vision.”
“That would be cheating, Scaramouche.” She retorted but she found herself laughing. Mona didn’t expect to see this childish and prideful side of him considering he was a strong harbinger. Watching him play the game, he almost appeared to be a normal person.
Scaramouche appeared thoughtful for a moment. Then he placed his chin in his hand and glanced at Mona. “Your clothes are wet. You should change or else you’ll catch a cold. Ogura’s ship is nearby and you can buy a yukata there. You said this is your first time attending a festival in Inazuma so you should dress for it properly. I’ll pay for you.”
“Are you offering to buy clothes for me so you can run away while I’m changing?” She asked him and the way he winced gave her the answer. He hadn’t intended to get them wet but he thought he should take advantage of the situation to slip away. He should’ve known that he couldn’t trick her so easily.
Mona reached up and she stole his hat. Then, she took off her own hat and handed it to Scaramouche. He watched her with a confused expression as she placed his hat on her head. She responded to his skeptical eyes with a grin. “I would like to try on a yukata. Though, I will be using my own mora to buy it. I’m going to be keeping your hat so you can’t leave.”
“And you expect me to hold your hat while you try on kimonos?”
“I swear, it would’ve been better for Childe to find me rather than that woman.” Scaramouche leaned against the wall with Mona’s hat in his hands. At least he could handle Childe by offering to spar with him. He didn’t know what he could give to Mona and convince her to let him go. She couldn’t be bribed or threatened like most people he knew. She only wanted to protect her friends and he doubted he could make her trust him.
Scaramouche felt a light tug on his pants and he looked down to find a young boy. The child stared up at him with curious eyes. “Are you a magician, Sir? You have the magician hat just like the one in Papa’s stories. I want to see a magic trick! Pull a rabbit from your hat.”
“I’m not a circus act.” He said. The boy likely assumed that he was a magician due to the hat he held. He tried to wave the boy away yet it only caused the boy to grab his hand. He peered into the hat and searched for the bunny from his father’s story. With a heavy sigh, Scaramouche knelt down and he held the hat between them. “You’re not going to leave until you find the rabbit, aren’t you?”
The boy shook his head. Scaramouche decided that it would be easier to pretend to be a magician so he reached into the hat. Hidden from the boy, he drew on the power of his delusion and he formed a geo construct in his hand. He pulled out his hand from the hat and he revealed a stone rabbit. Sparks of electro energy emitted from the stone as the rabbit hopped on his hand. Its movements were mechanical yet it left the boy speechless.
“You can have this magic rabbit as long as you stop bothering me.” Scaramouche placed the rabbit in the boy’s hands. He patted his head when the boy nodded. He watched the boy run away and Scaramouche tried to remember a time he was so innocent. As a puppet wondering the world, each new discovery filled him with home. He soon learned that the world was cruel and the gods were fickle.
“So, that’s the power of a delusion.” Mona’s voice behind him made him turn around. The retort he intended to say was caught in his throat once he saw Mona in her dark blue kimono. White magnolias sprinkled her yukata and they almost looked like stars creating a constellation. She was still wearing his hat and she held the veil over her cheek. “What are you staring at? You better not make fun of me. Ogura said this suits me.”
“I wouldn’t know anything about modern fashion.” Scaramouche hadn’t realized he was staring at her until she spoke. He quickly pulled his gaze away and he masked his reaction beneath disinterest. Yet, he found himself glancing back at her.
Mona returned his hat and she placed it over his head again. She couldn’t help herself from pulling the tip of his hat down over his eyes. For the childish gesture, he only glared at her. She didn’t appear to be the least bit guilty though. “Aether told me that he fought someone with a delusion in Liyue. It drains the wielder of their life. Why would you use it to make a rabbit for a child?”
“I just wanted him to leave me alone. Anyways, I’m not a weak human so I can use my delusion freely.” He shrugged. Scaramouche adjusted his hat and he marched out of the small shop. “It’s getting late so you should be getting back to your friends and I can be on my way as well. You must be bored following me by now.”
“The Irodori festival has a lot of interesting things.” Mona fell in step next to him and she glanced around the different stalls. She was slowly beginning to trust that he didn’t intend to attack the festival so she thought she could enjoy the night. When she would’ve walked into a person, Scaramouche took her arm and he lightly pulled her out of the person’s path.
The person stopped to apologize for almost walking into them. “Oh, I didn’t see you two. Are you two on a date? I can take a picture of you with my kamera so you’ll remember this night. It will only cost you 500 mora!”
“Wait, we’re not a couple!” Mona quickly denied but she could feel heat rising in her cheeks. She barely finished her sentence before the man took a picture of them and the flash disorientated her for a moment. The man held out his picture to them and he waited for them to exchange it for mora.
“We didn’t ask for our picture to be taken for you to expect mora from us.” Scaramouche wrapped his arm around Mona’s waist to lead her away. “Let’s go.”
“I wonder when the fireworks will begin.” Mona mused to herself and she tore a chunk of cotton candy to eat. Throughout the night, they enjoyed the festival and she was surprised by how fun it was spending time with Scaramouche. She heard that Yoimiya was famous for her fireworks and she searched for the best place to watch them.
Scaramouche suggested they go to the bridge near the outskirts of the city. They sat on the rail and waited for the firework show to begin. She was the one to insist they watch it but she didn’t expect for him to agree. Mona idly swung her legs and she watched their reflection in the water below. It was past midnight and the moon reflected clearly in the water.
So far from the festival, it was now quiet around them. She searched for something she could speak with him about. “What did you mean when you said the stars are a lie? They’re shining above us.”
“You can see stars in the water but you know they’re just a reflection. The ones in the sky are just as fake.” Scaramouche’s answer was cryptic as best and he tossed a leaf into the water and waves rippled over the reflection. She wanted to push him for an explanation but she was interrupted by her own yawn. Mona was tired and she struggled to stay awake.
“I’m guessing you’re not the type to wish on shooting stars. But, you must feel something when you look up at the night sky and see a million constellations watching over us. That feeling is real.” Mona had to admit that her love for the stars wouldn’t allow her to accept his claim so easily. There was more to his words that she wanted to know.
Another yawn escaped her and she could barely keep her eyes open. Mona slapped her cheeks in a hopeless attempt to keep herself awake. “Why would they wait to start the fireworks so late? Kids won’t be able to enjoy it.”
“I have never been able to understand humans so I can’t tell you.” Scaramouche said. Leaves rained over them and he caught one between his fingers. He bought the lead to his lips and he softly blew against the flat side. He whistled and made a soft melody that eased the tension around them. After a few notes, he felt a warm weight fall onto his shoulder.
Scaramouche tilted his face down and his nose brushed over Mona’s hair. His song had lulled her to sleep and she rested her head on his shoulder. “It took you long enough to fall asleep.”
He knew that the commissions had banned fireworks at the Irodori festival but he didn’t tell her when she thought there would be. His plan was to wait for her to fall asleep and he could slip away. Scaramouche knew he should leave quickly before she woke and become suspicious but he lingered next to her. She appeared relaxed and vulnerable.
He circled his arms around her and held her against his chest as he slid off the bridge. He summoned a platform of electro energy to walk across the water. Scaramouche didn’t understand his own actions and he merely walked forward through the festival. He eventually found himself before a book signing where Aether was laughing with his friends.
Aether was the first to notice him approach and his eyes narrowed when he saw Mona in his arms. He immediately drew his sword to fight him. His friends were confused but they sensed the tension in the air and they summoned their weapons as well. Scaramouche barely regarded them with a glance and he walked forward. He stopped in front of Aether and carefully placed Mona into his arms.
“If she asks for me when she wakes, tell her that she missed the fireworks.” Blinding lightning crashed around Scaramouche and he disappeared when its light faded.
“Shit!” Scaramouche shouted the curse. He had returned to the island to master the gnosis’s power yet he couldn’t concentrate properly. A sphere of electricity sparked over his palm but it was much larger than he intended to make. His palm burned and he recoiled against the power. He quickly smothered the lightning and then he thrust his hand into the water to cool it.
Scaramouche stared at his reflection in the water and his mind drifted back to Mona. He splashed water onto his face and muttered, “You have more important things to focus on than a silly human. You won’t be able to get revenge if you allow yourself to become distracted.”
“Do you believe revenge will bring you happiness when you never bothered to complete your plan against the Raiden Gokaden?” A voice asked and he immediately recognized who it belonged to. For the first time in centuries, a hint of fear entered his heart. Ei’s reflection appeared in the water next to his. Scaramouche jumped to his feet and he created pillars in front of him to protect himself.
He looked upon the woman who had abandoned him years ago and anger quickly replaced the fear he felt. The gnosis reacted to the storm of emotions inside him and dark clouds gathered above them. Scaramouche placed his hand over his heart to keep her from taking it again. As difficult and confusing as owning a heart was, he refused to return to the empty husk he once was.
“You are still such a soft child.” She looked at him with pity in her eyes. He heard tales of the cold Raiden Shogun and he didn’t expect to see her expression as it was now. Ei took out a photo from her sleeve and she held it out to Scaramouche. His eyes widened after he saw that it was the picture the man took of him and Mona.
Had Ei known that he was at the festival the entire time? Why hadn’t she confronted him then? As if she could read his thoughts, she said: “I hope you had fun at the festival. It was to usher Inazuma into a new era and embrace a new future. You should also let go of the past and move forward from whatever binds you to the gnosis.”
“I was created for this power!” He spat.
“But you can choose what you want to be.” Ei slowly walked towards him until she could place her hand on his shoulder. “The most surprising people will enter your life and change your perspective. Don’t push them away.”
With that advice, Ei left. He looked down at the photo of him and Mona and wondered what Ei meant.