A/N (please read!)
Hi there! This is Lupa speaking (or rather, writing), and you're reading the rewritten version of Doraemonzu Impact! Our first version was deemed scrappy, since we didn't dive deep enough into the lore of the actual Genshin Impact or develop enough for this AU, so a rewrite was necessary.
Please be warned that this book is written in my own writing style, which has more narrative than dialogues, and focuses more heavily on emotional development than climatic fights.
The story will kick off similarly to the game, with the Traveler (we picked Lumine as the Traveler for this story) visiting the nation of Anemo first, but will progress to something completely different. Gameplay-like data, such as playable character talents, weapons, visions, constellations and such are currently in development.

~

She had lost her wings for all she knew. Her wings, which were fundamental to world-traveling, and her twin brother, Aether.

The thought of them being separated had never once crossed her mind until that devastating moment happened right in front of her very frightened eyes. They had been by each other's side for as long as her memories could recall, the two stars that zoomed across the night sky and went unnoticed by naked eyes during the day. They always backed each other up in combat, with him more on the defensive side while she initiated strike-backs, now her sword lay blunt and unused in her pocket dimension, not knowing how to just go on and fight anymore, not without Aether to put her trust on to keep her safe from ambushes, and she knew that he would just struggle in containing himself without a chance to counter with that style of his.

But that is the truth. While they were traveling to yet another world, an Unknown God had blocked their path. She could barely recall the god's face but an overwhelming power and pressure that almost brought her to her knees. She had rushed into a battle that she could not win.

What could she do now, really? She had fallen into a strange, novel world, in the middle of the wilderness, without any sign of human activity to guide her. Sure, a few squirrels and fruits would sustain her, but survival was but a mere instinct, one she could accomplish without even trying, rather than a need. Right now, she wanted to find Aether, to call to the heavens for some kind of force that would just drive the devastating god out of the way. They did nothing wrong, why the vague accusation as if they had destroyed a world?

In the end, was the fate of stars to flicker and fade away?

~

Lumine followed the chatty floating Emergency Food as she flew slowly, leaving constellation-like traces behind, aiming to reach Downtown Weistex before nightfall.

After being rescued from somehow drowning in the sea, Paimon showed her gratitude by offering to be her guide in finding Aether, which Lumine took up immediately. It should be a chance, even though she had doubts regarding the pixie's capabilities. Paimon was, for the least, quite well-informed, telling her that she was by the South coast of a nation called Weistex, where they worshipped the Anemo Archon.

They went past a few villages and scattered tents of random inhabitants and adventurers. Lumine wanted to see a god, not mere humans, so Paimon complied, leading her to a Statue of the Seven, where they would have the highest chances of communicating with the Anemo Archon - whether or not he was the Unknown God.

The statue was located in a windy valley. Dark and with powerful gusts rousing up dust, Lumine doubted anyone would just go all their way here just for a statue that might not even answer to their call, but Paimon simply shook her head.

"There's a Silent Day, when the winds stop running, the people of Weistex will try to gather here for a ceremony dedicated to their god."

Silent Day, huh... That sounded quite sorrowful.

There it was - they had arrived. Despite all the dust, the statue remained clean, radiating a teal hue. It depicted a man in a simple cloak styled like wings, pinned by his collar by a star-shaped badge, hiding his right hand while his left set on a winged horse, a pegasus.

Lumine suddenly felt an impulse to reach out her hand, and she did, brushing her fingers on the podium of the statue. Power rushed through her, winds picked up and settled down just as quick, and she realized that her palms now harbored a similar hue.

"Woah! Looks like the Anemo Archon acknowledged your presence! If I'm guessing it right, you can now harness the element Anemo!"

Elemental powers, huh? Perhaps you're not the Unknown God I'm looking for, but thank you.

~

The remaining path to Downtown Weistex was a little rough, but it was nothing she couldn't handle, although she did struggle greatly compared to the times she used to travel with-...

Alright, Lumine should really set that thought aside now. Desiring to find Aether back was one thing, dwelling on that thought and wishing for alternatives was entirely different, and would only shadow more weight on the current situation, especially when the Emergency Food, apparently, could not fight.

A loud, deafening shriek of a provoked beast startled her, as she whipped her head around, her back exposing to the hilichurl she was trying to fend off. It was a terrible mistake. When she finally came back to her senses and turned back around, the monster had already had its club raised high, and there was certainly not enough time for her to bring up her sword to block it.

That was, until an arrow zipped through the air and brought the hilichurl to the ground. Another ended its being into dark particles.

A brown-haired girl with floppy ears riding atop a beast - a griffin, definitely the one that had distracted her just now - had a bow a size too big for her small form in her left hand, an arrow knocked into place, and her right hand placing gently on the string, ready to strike at any target her round, bright, observant eyes could spot. Once the area was cleared, she put away the bow and steered the griffin to a neat landing in front of Lumine and Paimon, bowing in an apology:

"I'm sorry! Uwetsu didn't mean it - I promise. Are you hurt anywhere?"

Lumine shook her head, and the girl exhaled in relief.

"Good to hear. Then, now, to the matter at hand - Uwetsu never, ever just shriek at any people, you know? This baby boy is the best trained griffin in Weistex," she patted his neck proudly, "In fact, he can memorize the scent and look of every person in this nation. You are not from around here, aren't you? Even if you haven't signed up your identity at the Pegasi Office, you're bound to smell like a Weistian, yet you do not. You even dress exotically. Where did you come from?"

Lumine remained silent. One moment the girl in front of her bore a sincere smile - an apologetic one, that was - and her face laced with concern, the next her eyes were staring right into her soul, as if inspecting every secret that she had. Perhaps it was just her nerves being on edge, because the talkative Paimon made no comments on it, or that she was way too good at making her facial expression subtle besides that cute exterior.

"Right, it's either that you have no justifiable answer or just don't want to give one at all. Anyhow, I must escort you back for temporary confinement. Are you fine with it?"

For somebody trying to put her into jail, this one was significantly nice - Lumine noted. She even asked if she was alright with the decision, even though she was pretty sure any response would only lead to the same outcome, so the Traveler nodded.

"Wait, hold on! We don't even know who you are! How are we supposed to believe that you're not up to something fishy??" Paimon retorted.

"Oh, right. I was rude there, sorry," the girl smiled sheepishly, "The name's Koro, detective and occasional officer of the Pegasi Office. And trust me, you're as shady to me as I seem to you right now. Just think about it - you showed up out of nowhere, without a hint of your origin."

"That's... fair enough, I guess?"

"Look, as much as I wish to let you two pass and enjoy Downtown Weistex, recent situations call for different security protocols. Increased theft, a few murders, mysterious people causing ruckus then quickly disappearing with a crime scene behind... you name it. It used to be 'Everyone is innocent until proven guilty', but as of now, 'Everyone is guilty unless proven innocent'. I, as a detective, is in charged of getting to the very root of those occurrences, and I wish for your cooperation, even if that is just by sitting in temporary confinement willingly. And don't worry, the rooms are well-furnished so that you won't feel uncomfortable, and you'd need to stay there until investigations are concluded - or until your innocence is proven, that is. Any constructive claims in the process are much treasured and can result in your early liberation," Koro explained, "As - may I say - outlanders, this may be a lot to take in, so I'll provide you with as much aid as I can. Now, is it settled?"

Paimon, for once, was speechless, and quietly nodded, tugging at Lumine's longer strand of hair for comfort.

"Alright, then. You two will ride on Uwetsu with me," she swiftly climbed onto the griffin and extended a hand - a cue for Lumine to grab and follow, while Paimon made herself comfortable on the Traveler's lap.

"You'd rather hold onto something firm," the girl warned. Lumine held onto Koro's waist, and Paimon had her arms around Lumine's.

"Uwetsu, soar!"

"Woooaahh!"

The griffin spread its caramel brown wings wide and flapped against the ground, like a rocket launched from its base Uwetsu steered through clouds, so high that the eyes could barely register the changing sceneries below.

"Pegasi Office backlane No.11, ready for descent!"

Uwetsu swooped down without warning, aiming at a large field with numbered lanes from 1 to 23. His front claws first hit the grass with a thud, then his hind paws followed more softly. It took the griffin a while to decelerate before stopping completely, fluttering his wings with his beaked head held high, proud of his accomplishment.

"You're the fastest griffin in Weistex, as always!" Koro complimented, "See me later at the stables for your treat, okay? I need to get these two on the files first."

~

"There you go!" Koro concluded.

Lumine and Paimon had just been given a tour around the temporary confinement building - a cozy architecture work, to their surprise. When Paimon had wondered why it looked more like a hotel than a jail, the detective gasped a little too dramatically, before giggling and said:

"For the name of Tsu'kala, there's no way in the world would we mistreat suspects! When he was still here with us, our Archon had made it clear that we shall not make more enemies than necessary."

So Tsu'kala is the name of the Anemo Archon. Kinda odd-sounding, but Lumine decided, as usual, to keep her mouth shut.

"There should be a list of contacts on the nightstand in case you need anything, including that to my office. Staff will come and change your bedsheets every weekend, do your laundry and clean your room every other day, and you'll have three meals a day, all of which are on a provided timetable. As long as you stick to that, life in here wouldn't be so bad," Koro, again, laughed lightly - she made that sound quite too often, as if being a detective in the middle of a crisis and arresting people out of nowhere was a mere pastime, "Don't worry too much. I'll come back for you two tomorrow and with a little chat, I'll be sure to bring you out in no time!"

And hence began Lumine and Paimon's life in temporary confinement inside the Pegasi Office Headquarters, only shortly after their encounter. There was no window, so they couldn't view the outside world. A mind trapped in a tight space led to unimaginable observations. Lumine first noticed how, despite being small, Paimon could chug down three adult servings while she herself would do well with only one. Second, the little constellations left in her wake every time she floated elsewhere looked familiar. Sure, they were simple dots and lines with barely any unique features, but that was not the point. Despite being plain, they felt somehow related to whatever she had left behind.

What that was, however, Lumine could not recall. Anything beyond the point of meeting with the Unknown God was blurry - either that or a complete blank.

It was such a headache.

~

Koro did not break her promise.

The next morning, when Lumine and Paimon were finishing their breakfast, the detective came with a canteen filled with cupcakes and a paperbag filled with cheesed fries.

"I came as soon as I could. Also, I brought snacks."

She then proceeded to take out a pen and notebook.

"I'm gonna ask you some questions, and all you need to do is answer honestly, okay? This may affect your span here and possible future merits."

The duo nodded.

"Right. First of: I haven't caught your names? May I..?"

"It's Paimon and Lumine!" Paimon answered for both of them.

"Paimon and Lumine... got that," Koro scribbled down, "Right, next question. I know I've asked you this already, and you might not want to answer in specific, but this might be helpful. Where did you come from?"

"Uhhh... Paimon met the Traveler at the South coast. She saved Paimon from drowning!"

"I see. It might be safe to say you drifted here by sea, no? And the Traveler happened to be there at the time," she nodded, "Do you want to add anything else? No? Alright, I'll just put that down. Now, do you have a vision?"

"Vision? Oooh, the Traveler doesn't have one, but she can use Anemo energy!"

"Wait really?" her ears literally perked, and her eyes widened with both bewilderment and curiosity, "Well that's a first. The Anemo Archon isn't the most generous, and rarely does he give. Can you tell me how it happened?"

Paimon told Koro the events at the windy valley, with a few exaggerations expected from her interpretation. The detective hummed.

"That sounds quite peculiar, but since he seems to favor you, I think you'll be free to go soon enough."

"How come?" Paimon asked.

"Well, before becoming an Archon, Tsu'kala was the God of Justice. Older tales said that to him, there is no such thing as fairness, only cold justice."

"Eek!"

"He must've seen something that makes you worthy of becoming a visionless Anemo user," the detective states, "But who am I to speak of a god's handiwork so casually? Just rest assured that you have justice on your side and we shall continue our inquiries. I'm running out of time.

"Next question, are you two capable of fighting and which weapon are you specialized in?"

"Paimon can't fight, but the Traveler uses a sword."

"Noted. Are you perhaps familiar with the term 'Patch the Ages'? No? Okay. Have you heard of the name Hanna? Also no? Good. What is your purpose of going to Downtown Weistex?"

"Should we tell her, Lumine?" Paimon whispered. Earning a slight nod of approval from the Traveler, the fairy spoke aloud, "We came to find help to look for her twin brother. He went missing after, um, things."

"I suppose you won't elaborate on what exactly you meant by 'things', will you? It'd be great if you do though. I can put that on my tab for a little detour during investigations," Koro said, "He's your twin brother, so he'd look like a genderbend version of you? Can you describe him?"

Lumine looked away, deep in thought. Should she trust the detective? Blocking out Paimon's loud yells for attention, she zoned out.

"...I see. It'd be her own decision to reveal anything to me. For now, I'll just put the name down," there was the sound of a pen and the turning of paper. Looks like Koro had filled yet another page with their info.

"That concludes everything. Thank you for your cooperation."

~

Later that night, Lumine woke up with a start.

She dreamt of her brother, again. His desperate eyes staring right through her as if criticizing her weakness.

You could've saved me.

That was the message. Before the Unknown God's matter closed up on him, taking up away to somewhere she could not reach.

Paimon rubbed her eyes and started floating from the bed, patting Lumine's back in comfort. For once, she was grateful. The fairy knew when to be quiet, and her presence alone brought that little hopeful warmth in the solitary darkness.

Someone knocked on the door. What time was it? The clock on the nightstand showed 1 a.m. An unholy hour for Koro or any of the officers to come look for her, knowing that she'd probably be sleeping away.

"Should we answer that?" Paimon asked. The Traveler shrugged, not wanting to interact with anyone right now, in the aftermath of her nightmare, in the dead of the night, wishing that her companion would catch the hint.

"Um, I think we should at least answer them? I'd feel bad if that person stayed in front of our door for the rest of the night..." Paimon fiddled with her fingers, "Just a little reply? You can't go back to sleep right now, can you? And I'll do all the talking."

"...fine."

Paimon called out to the door with an 'okay' while Lumine straightened herself up, anticipating anything weird that may come.

She didn't expect the man that came in tho.

He was shady, literally. Clad in a grey cloak, his hood hid most of his face, saved for a striking sky-blue eye that seemed to glow in the dark and a tuff of blonde hair. As he lifted his left hand, she saw a dirty white shirt and pants that resembled the officers but more worn out, as if he was an infiltrator who messily picked up a disguise from the trash. His black boots knocked soundlessly on the floorboards of the empty hallway as he stepped into her room, closing the door behind him, and made himself comfortable on the couch.

"Thanks. It ain't gonna be so pretty if ya lemme freeze outside, ha?"

His speech was... wild.

"The name's, uh, I can go by the name Steel. Are you the Traveler and Paimon?"

"That's us! Why did you ask?"

"Well, let's put it like this," Steel sighed softly, "I'm not an officer nor a registered Weistex resident. You won't find my name on any files, but I'm not a foreign runaway either. Only so you know, I'm not here carrying news or demands from the Pegasi Office. I'm here for a request."

"Okay?"

"Tomorrow, detective Koro will let you go. Why she'd do that, do not question, or else things'll get nasty. If she asks for your assistance in anything, comply. The clues leading to your roots lie within the tangled mess this nation is facing," he eyed a clueless Paimon, then landed his gaze on Lumine, "The clues leading to your brother."

"How did you know!?" she jumped from the bed, "Did Koro-..."

"No, she didn't speak a word of that to anyone, let alone me, a dead man's presence," he made a sound that was close to a laugh, yet wasn't quite right, "No, I have my own ways to know, and no one else but me can access that. One more thing..."

He gave Lumine a circular device. It looked like a flat, metal sun, consisting of several circles from as large as a fist to as small as a marble, with thin metal bars thrusting all the way to the center.

"I expect you three to run into trouble - that's bound to happen, so try not to think 'bout it too much. When that comes, give this to the detective and tell her to call for the Anemo Archon. If things go well, he'll help you in your search."

"Why are you telling me this?" Lumine asked. She couldn't read the man's expression at all. He wasn't stoic, but he wasn't smiling, either. She didn't know if she preferred Koro's or Steel's, because either way they hid their intentions well.

"Because why not? You want to find your Aether, and I want to strangle the mastermind behind all of these increasing crimes in Weistex to death. We all have our own purposes, and the best way to not be a hassle to the other is to establish a compromise."

His words were alarming - he wanted to commit homicide - yet he spoke of it so casually. Just like Koro, Lumine made another mental note, and nodded.

"Great! Make sure to stick to your side of the deal, and I'll try and keep you from dying," he stood up. With a hand on the doorknob, he turned back to face her with a mysterious look behind the grey hood that he hadn't taken off at all, "My eyes and ears are sharp as valley gusts, you can hold onto that."

~

Koro did, in fact, release them the following day. Casting a warning glance to the talkative Paimon, Lumine simply uttered a thank-you.

And just like what Steel said, she asked them if they could help her with investigations.

"With Anemo power, you might be of great help!" she declared behind the desk stacked with papers and filed up to her neck, "My vision is Geo, which is quite handy by the way, and I can always sniff out traces of Dendro and Anemo if I have to. Still, Anemo users tend to have a unique perception about the wind, and this is the nation of Anemo. Of course, on the way, if you happen to bump into any hints of your brother, you're welcome to leave. After all, I am not speaking to you as an interrogator to a suspect anymore, but a detective asking for assistance from outlanders."

They had moved to the girl's personal office, located on the ground floor of a humble building not too far from the Headquarters. The upper floors were other authority-tied offices, while the highest were her living quarters. Reasonable. Lumine couldn't imagine anyone living in this mess of paper. Sure, Koro did put efforts into sorting them out, but in busy times such as these, barely being able to catch sleep was already a luxury.

"Sign us up! Where are we going first?"

"First, you two - no, only you, Lumine - are taking a Gliding exam."