Fate's Slave - Shadow Slave X Honkai Star Rail

”...So, you’ve resorted to exhibitionism.”

Sunny, who was beaming despite Sparkle’s dry remark, tilted his head in curiosity.

”What’s that? Does it have to do with exhibits? Like at a museum?”

He paused for a moment, before adding:

”Also, hi. I didn’t say that earlier, did I?”

Sparkle scrutinized him as if he was an unknown alien species, before asking in a severe tone:

”...Why the hell are you so chipper? Did you hit your head... and how many times?”

Sunny blinked a few times at the seriousness in her voice, before crossing his arms with a huff. It looked strangely comical, considering his current position.

”I didn’t hit my head. And is there anything wrong with being happy when I’m finally seeing my favorite shrimp after more than a month of falling into the void? Better than talking to the void itself, I’d think.”

She scoffed, seeming quite annoyed.

”Right. I think you meant to say second favorite shrimp, since you’re at the top of that list... and you need to stop talking to inanimate objects.”

Crouched down in her room, Sparkle stared down at Sunny, who was laid down with his arms crossed — they were previously splayed out, as if he was unwilling to part with the floor.

Clicking his tongue, he said in an irritated voice:

”I was expecting plenty of tears as you cried to the world about how much you missed me... instead, I get berated like you’re my mother. And don’t call me short ever again!”

Sparkle rolled her eyes.

’What a drama queen.’

Suddenly, her frown sharply contorted into a grin.

”Anyways, want to explain what type of... adventure you had?”

Just as expected, Sunny shot up from from his sprawled position, sitting up with an excited expression.

As per usual, he simply couldn’t resist regaling his tales...

***

As she listened to the ridiculous and fantastical events that Sunny experienced, the grin on her face quickly disappeared. It was replaced with an incredulous expression as she felt a migraine begin to assault her — metaphorically, of course.

”...Then, I hitched a ride on the back of a dead dragon. And let me tell you, it was a rough one. I wouldn’t recommend it.”

Sunny brightly smiled.

”And now, I’m here! Yes, I know, I’m positively amazi—”

”Wait.”

Sunny abruptly paused.

Sparkle began to rub her temples.

”So, you mean to say that you had this grand treasure hunt that led you to the workshop of a lesser deity under a sea of divine flames? Then, you went to the supposed prison of another lesser deity, found a Nightmare Seed, before falling with the carcass of a dragon on your way back?”

Sunny thought for a moment, before gleefully nodding.

”Yep! Pretty much!”

He stiffened as Sparkle grabbed the collar of the Puppeteer’s Shroud.

”Without me?!”

Sunny’s face was frozen for a few moments, before he relented to the pressure of his Flaw.

”I suppose...”

At his reply, she dramatically placed a hand over her chest with an anguished expression.

”Oh... the betrayal! I... I think I’m having a heart att—”

Her eyes became half-lidded as she slumped to the floor like a rag doll. Sunny stared at her for a few moments, before wearing a deadpan expression.

”...This is why people don’t deserve to know the majesty of my grand quests. Ungrateful swines... whatever a swine is.”

”It’s a pig.”

”Oh, alright. There’s too many words for the exact same things...”

Sunny casually ignored the fact that Sparkle answered his question despite playing dead.

He thought for a few moments, before summoning the Covetous Coffer. Sticking his tongue out as he dug around the spacious insides of the carnivorous chest, Sunny pulled out a broken mirror shard with the words ”Beastie” engraved on them.

”Anyways, could you divine the owner’s location? You can keep it for your... magic stuff once you’re done.”

Sparkle rose back up, looking towards Sunny’s hand in curiosity, before immediately paling.

”...Sunny, where did you get that?”

Seeing her ashen countenance, Sunny became somewhat alarmed. He skipped multiple parts of his story, mainly focusing on his journey to the Sky Below. As such, he hadn’t said anything about the Mirror Beast.

And yet, she seemed almost frightened by the shard of glass in his hand.

Sunny carefully said:

”Well... on the way to Shipwreck Island, I had a nasty encounter with the thing on Reckoning Island. It could transform into people and use all their abilities, while keeping the strength of an Ascended Devil. When I killed it, I got this.”

He waved the mirror shard around.

”When I fell into the Sky Below, this guy started to talk to me through the mirror. He called himself Mordret, the Prince of... pfft... Prince of Nothing.”

Sparkle’s eyes suddenly swiveled towards his face.

”...Nothing, you say?”

Sunny shrugged.

”He said it. Not me.”

He paused for a moment.

”Mordret was the one who helped me return to the Chained Isles.”

Sparkle stared at him in disbelief, before sighing in exasperation. Sunny thought that she seemed to be less joyful than usual — almost as if she aged a million years.

”Forget it. I know what you’re trying to do, but you should be trying to stay far away from anything related to the Prince of Nothing.”

She stared at the mirror piece in his hand, before shaking her head.

”You should throw that into the Sky Below. For all you know, he might be listening in on our right now.”

Sunny didn’t react for a moment, before his eyes widened.

...How come he hadn’t thought about that? With his paranoia, he should of suspected that Mordret was capable of constant observance. Although the mysterious prince seemed to lack the ability to sustain long conversations, that might have simply been a ruse. Even if it wasn’t, that didn’t mean it was impossible for him to be viewing Sunny and Sparkle right now!

...He was glad that neither of them said anything sensitive. This brought him to wonder, though. Did the Prince of Nothing see Sunny swallow the alabaster phalanx that granted him Bone Weave?

That would have been embarrassing.

Back to the main topic, Sparkle seemed to be quite knowledgeable of the meaning of the moniker: Prince of Nothing. It was a bit strange, actually.

”Uh... you haven’t met him before or anything, have you?”

She raised a brow at the strange tone of his voice.

”Of course not. Haven’t even heard of him.”

...That only made her reaction even stranger.

Sunny quickly changed the topic, hoping to investigate the matter later.

”Well, could you make the divination first? I’ll throw it away after.”

Sparkle clicked her tongue.

”That wouldn’t do. If he is what I think he is, then looking at him directly wouldn’t be... safe. It might be risky even if it’s through a dream divination.”

Sunny was beginning to become creeped out.

Sparkle didn’t speak for a moment, before continuing:

”Tell me everything you know about him. Then, I’ll make a decision.”

***

Sunny watched in confusion as Sparkle began to laugh uncontrollably.

”You asked if he was a guy... and he said... most of the time?!”

Sunny slowly nodded.

She continued to laugh.

***

Sparkle coughed into her fist as Sunny finished his explanation. He stared at her with a deadpan expression; he wasn’t going to forget the previous scene that easily.

”Yeah... I have no idea what a Dreamspawn is. Obviously, he seems to be related to Valor, and he’s definitely encouraging you to get the knives. One is here, at the Sanctuary, and the other is at...”

Her gaze darkened.

”Night Temple.”

She suddenly smiled.

”Don’t you think it’s funny that he wants you to go to Night Temple, the place that is actively sealing something inside?”

Sunny blinked.

”Well, not really funny, but it is interesting. He’s probably stuck there... and he’s trying to use me to escape.”

Sunny paused for a moment, before nodding.

”How do we get to Night Temple without being kicked out? Don’t they have a Saint guarding it?”

Sparkle groaned.

”Are you crazy? You know he’s trying to manipulate you, and you still want to let him free?”

Sunny shrugged. It wasn’t that big of a deal. It was simply a matter of equivalent exchange.

”He helped me escape, so what’s so wrong with helping him? Mordret’s probably really strong, so I could recruit him to challenge the Second Nightmare...”

He paused, before sending Sparkle a curious expression.

”You’re coming too, right?”

Sparkle rapidly shook her head.

”Forget that! If he’s locked down, then there has to be a reason. What if he turns out to be a megalomaniac and tries to kill you?”

He already had the answer to that.

”Uh... kill him first? What else is there?”

Sparkle seemed deep in thought for a moment, her trademark smile returning, before pulling out a gold coin — one of the coins with Noctis’ face on it, which Sunny had been searching for. She flipped it, watching as it landed with the same face pointing up.

”...Looks like he is at the Night Temple. I’ll prepare the explosives. Now get out!”

Sunny stared in bafflement as the pint-sized woman opened the door, grabbed him by the leg, threw him out the room in an impressive feat of strength — an average feat for an Awakened — before slamming the door shut.

Crumpled against the wall opposite of Sparkle’s room, he could only stare at the door in confusion.

After a few seconds, she peaked out with a devious grin.

”By the way, I’m in.”

With a flirtatious wink, she closed the door once more. Sunny couldn’t help but think that her attitude changed very quickly.

Maybe it was just her Flaw.

...Maybe he just had amazing persuasion skills.

Maybe he didn’t.

Maybe he shouldn’t say maybe so often.

Maybe it made him sound unsure.

Remembering her accusation of him being crazy, he scowled.

’You’re crazier than me! And I’m not crazy! I’m perfectly sane...’