The Cat and the Cocktail

by mlpanddisneyfan1

Rating: everyone
Tags: Mystery, Comedy, Crossover, Twilight Sparkle, Drama, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Rainbow Dash
Length: 28977

After Rainbow interrupted Twilight and Lumine's dinner she along with them went to check out the Cat's Tail to drink beer or watch cats depending on your choice

The second of the three Choose your Endings is here, before you start reading this I would just like to say two things

First, the series is not cancelled, it's just on hiatus until everything from the Mondstadt arc has been put in place (We still need to figure out the events) so it seems like you guys will just have to wait until it's complete for the next Episode which means I'll work now work on the 'Prologue' of my fangame (which now instead of Rainbow High is an MLPRonpa)

Secondly, I'd like to thank Ryouko_T and Mintie on Discord for their help with the Genshin Impact order, without them I wouldn't be able to figure out when to do the events and such

Now then I'll see you all later and enjoy the story

Published 2024-07-24 12:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2024-07-24 12:00:00 UTC

Remind Diona about how the customers got to know the cats

“No one would know about these cats if it weren’t for your specialty drinks” Lumine reminded

“Well of course! If it weren’t for the Mora my drinks bring in, how would we pay for their toys and food?” Diona asked

“Now is that all? Cuz I’m tired of this cuteness” Rainbow asked angrily

Diona then glared her her angrily

“You know what? Since you’re being so cocky, why don’t you bring the cats to the tavern, you girls too, I mean you decided to join in the search just so you could talk to these cats right? Is that so?!” Diona asked

“No! We also wanted to help! Honest!” Twilight reminded

“Whatever, I’ll walk back myself” Diona said

“But why don’t we just go back together and have Rainbow handle the cats herself?” Lumine asked

“HEY!” Rainbow called out angrily

“But I have to hurry back and convince the tavern to hire a few more cats, they’re the key to attracting customers after all” Diona said angrily

“What about the cocktails? I’d like to try out some without those cats?” Rainbow asked

“Cocktails?!” Diona asked, getting more enraged “No need for those anymore!” Diona reminded angrily

Diona then gave a kick onto Rainbow’s hoof who then pulled it up in pain before she and the others watched Diona walk off and the cats thinking that Rainbow angered Diona then rushed towards her and began attacking her

“Ack! Get them off! Get them off!” Rainbow called out

“Not until you promise to apologize to Diona and the cats!” Twilight said

“Grraaaaaah!” Rainbow shouted in both pain, anger and sadness

[You got the Attacked by Cats Ending! Wanna try again? Or do you wanna pick a different choice, select any down below]

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Pick a different choice

The Cat Tail Rumors [STARTING POINT]

The Episode begins with Twilight at an restaurant with Lumine as they were talking a bit while Paimon was away on a mission with Amber

“You know, it’s actually a relief that Paimon’s helping Amber for a few days you know, it gives us a chance to take a deep breath of relief without her emergency food mouth yapping” Lumine said

“I wouldn’t say that but you’re right, I’m actually relieved we could have some peace and quiet without her—” Twilight started

Just then Rainbow rushed towards them shocking them

“Hey girls, haven’t you heard…?!” Rainbow asked in shock

“Heard what?” Twilight asked

“A new brewery is opening up called the ‘Cat’s Tail!” Rainbow explained

“The cat’s tail? That sounds like a joke” Twilight said

“I’m not joking! Look!” Rainbow called out

Rainbow then pulled out a poster which she then read

“Hmm, it does look legit” Lumine said

“I agree, do you wanna try it out, Rainbow?” Twilight asked

“Of course! And I was planning on taking you girls with me!” Rainbow explained

“But we just drank” Lumine explained

“I know, I know, just, please! I promise I won’t interrupt your day!” Rainbow pleaded

“Very well, let’s go then” Twilight said

Twilight then paid for the food she and Lumine ate before they walked off

“Alright, do you have any idea where it is?” Lumine asked

“No I don’t, why don’t we find out together” Rainbow suggested

“Alright, let’s get going then” Twilight said

The trio then began walking until they found one of the Drunkards who they then approached and when they got near him they could hear him talking to himself

“Mmm… Drinks at the Cat’s Tail, not bad… Not bad at all…” The guy said in awe

“Did you just say the Cat’s Tail?” Lumine asked

“Yes I d—” The guy said while turning around before he noticed the three saviors “Oh hey, it’s you girls…” The guy said in shock

“Yep, your Mondstadt saviors at your service” Rainbow said

“So, what’s the Cat’s Tail exactly?” Lumine asked

“Huh? Y-You’ve never heard of the Cat’s Tail?” The guy asked in shock

“Actually, we did hear about it… Well, from Rainbow’s side of course” Twilight explained

“Judging from your expressions, it seems like you really don’t know the place, boy, have you been missing out…” The guy said in disbelief

“Can you explain what it is?” Lumine explained

“Well… The Cat’s Tail is renowned for its incredible specialty drinks, I’m talking drinks you’ve definitely never tasted before” The guy explained

“Hmm, that does sound troublesome” Twilight thought out loud

“And just as its name suggests there are loads of cute kitties at the Cat’s Tail” The guy explained

“I now regret going there!” Rainbow muttered in disbelief

Twilight who heard that then chuckled a bit while Lumine rolled her eyes with a smile

“Time simply starts slipping away when you’re enjoying a delicious specialty cocktail and surrounded by a bunch of cute kitties…” The guy explained

“Unless you hate them or are allergic of them” Rainbow muttered quietly

“Anyways, is the Cat’s Tail still open right now?” Lumine asked

“But uh, you don’t seem to be of age to drink yet Lumine” The guy reminded

Rainbow then went towards the guy in anger

“Okay, listen here mister, I may not like cute stuff but I do know that Lumine is old enough to drink! After all she’s… Uh…” Rainbow started before turning to Lumine “How old are you?” Rainbow asked

“Rainbow! You don’t ask a mare her age even if you’re a mare yourself!” Twilight said

“Fine!” Rainbow said in disbelief before turning to the guy again “Still, the fact of the matter is, she’s old enough to drink!” Rainbow said angrily

“W-Well, that shouldn’t be a problem then, Diona will be there, she’s the best bartender in all of Mondstadt! It should be a piece of cake for her to whip something up for you with alcohol in it” The guy explained

“I didn’t like alcohol but sure, thanks” Lumine thanked

“Fine! But still, that means we’re still friends mr. Nimrod!” Rainbow said in an irritated tone

“Why do I regret leaving Rainbow alone at the beginning more than I did before?” Twilight thought

“Oh, I forgot to mention… Diona is also pretty cute… Just like a little kitty” The guy named Nimrod said before hiccuping as he realized what he said “Oh no… Did I say that out loud? Uh, please don’t tell her I said that!” Nimrod pleaded

“Of course we won’t, we promise” Twilight said

“Can you please tell us where it is?” Lumine asked

“Sure, the Cat’s Tail’s entrance is just around the back” Nimrod answered while pointing to a spot near a few houses

“Thank you very much for your help mr. Nimrod” Twilight thanked

“No problem, if you need me, I’m gonna…” Nimrod started before hiccuping again “Go over there and sober up a bit, I don’t think I can handle a fifth round quite yet… I drank way too much already” Nimrod reminded

“Get some rest then, if you want, Rainbow can escort you back home” Lumine said

“No need I can handle myself” Nimrod said

“Very well” Lumine said

The duo then went across the houses before turning a corner where they saw Margaret speaking to a young girl with pink hair where between them was two white, brown and black cat ears with some white stuffing coming out and the front of her hair was pulled together by some sort of elastic, she even wore a purple and black hat and had a tail which was the same as the ears, she wore a white puffy sleeved blouse with an orange scarf over it, dark blue shorts with its sleeves rolled up and a brown belt with a footprint of a puppy of some kind, a brown bracelet on the left leg and black shoes with a brown clip of a cat of some kind on both shoes

“All out of ingredients… Again?” The girl said before grunting in disbelief “I really don’t understand why these adults love to drink so much” The girl said in disbelief

“Because all the drinks you make are so delicious! All it takes is just one sip and they’re hooked” Margaret reminded

“Hmph, and I thought self-control was the most important quality of being an adult” The girl said angrily

“Well, it just so happens that self-control often falls by the wayside when someone’s enjoying one of your delicious specialty drinks!” Margaret reminded

“All that means is that they’re nothin’ but a bunch of drunkards that don’t know when to stop…” The girl reminded angrily

Twilight and Rainbow who heard that argument could only look in worry while Lumine only looked in awe

“Aww look, it’s a kitty” Lumine said in awe

Diona who heard that then turned to Lumine angrily

“Hey! Who you calling ‘kitty’?! Haven’t you seen anyone of the Kätzlein bloodline before?” The girl asked angrily

“Is that dutch fo—?” Rainbow started before Twilight went in front of her

“What Rainbow meant to say was no we don’t since we’re not from this place so we haven’t heard or seen anyone from that bloodline” Twilight explained

“Ugh! They’d better teach you that wherever you come from” The girl said in disbelief

Margaret meanwhile turned to the group with a smile

“Hello there, are you girls here to visit the Cat’s Tail?” Margaret asked

“Yeah, we’re here because I want to see the kittens, it’s been a while since I’ve seen them” Twilight explained

“Actually Twilight, I want to go and drink some cider so if you’ll excuse me I’ll go inside” Rainbow said

“Are you afraid you’ll get disgusted by those cute little paws!” Twilight explained

“That’s not true! I just… Don’t like cats that’s all and besides, are you worried you’ll get poisoned from these ciders?” Rainbow asked

“Of course I—” Twilight started

“ENOUGH!” Lumine called out

“Shoot! I forgot she was here!” Twilight and Rainbow thought in worry together

“Maybe I should decide, I mean, I’m the tie breaker of course” Lumine reminded

“Well, true but…” Twilight started

“Don’t worry, whatever I pick it’ll be safe for you both” Lumine said

“Alright then Lumine, you’re the boss” Rainbow said

“Yep, choose wisely” Twilight suggested

“Of course” Lumine said before thinking “This should’ve been easy if it weren’t for those two to get into an argument. What should I pick, something that Rainbow wants or something that Twilight wants? Hmm? What should I pick?” Lumine thought

Side with Twilight

Side with Rainbow

Side with Twilight

“I have decided” Lumine said

“Really?!” Twilight and Rainbow called out

“Yep, I want to go see the kittens” Lumine explained

“What?! Why?! I mean… Drinking beer is much more fun!” Rainbow reminded

“Sorry Rainbow but I think she doesn’t like beer, right Lumine?” Twilight asked

“Yeah, sorry RD” Lumine apologized

“Fine, guess it’s just me drinking beer then” Rainbow said

Margaret then chuckled a bit

“Here for the kitties huh? I suppose we do have a lot of cute cats here” Margaret said

“No thanks, I’m good” Rainbow said

“They’re all quite friendly, in fact, many other customers are here for the same reason after all there aren’t many places in Mondstadt where you can just relax and interact with friendly cats” Margaret explained

Diona then scoffed in disbelief

“I’ve never seen such a bunch of arrogant and stubborn cats, I don’t understand why people like them so much, besides, shouldn’t the main purpose for going to a tavern be drinking without getting cat hair in your beverage?” The girl asked

“Maybe everyone just thinks cats are cute?” Lumine asked

“What kind of reason is that?!” The girl asked angrily before crossing her arms and looking away in disbelief “So as long as they’re cute nothing else matters?” The girl asked

“Well, judging from the customers, that seems to be the case” Margaret said before chuckling a bit before pointing to Twilight and Lumine “See? These travelers are here for the cats as well” Margaret reminded

“You’re really gonna make a name of yourself that way you know” Rainbow reminded

Twilight and Lumine then chuckled a bit only for Margaret to have a worried look

“However, you’ve come at a most unfortunate time, our cats see to have snuck out to play somewhere” Margaret explained worriedly

“Really?! Sweet! That means it’s safe for me to go inside!” Rainbow said in relief

“If you’re willing to wait, Diona here should be able to bring them back shortly…” Margaret said

The girl named Diona then turned to Margaret angrily

“Huh? When did I agree to go fetch those little troublemakers?!” Diona asked angrily

“Consider it a task straight from tavern management, besides, the cats are quite fond of you so you’re the natural pick for the job” Margaret explained

Diona then sighed in disbelief

“They’re probably just bored and wandered off to get people’s attention” Diona said in disbelief

“Is that so?” Margaret asked before chuckling a bit “...Well anyway, it’ll be up to you to bring them back here” Margaret said

“No! Please don’t! I don’t wanna see such cute monsters!” Rainbow said

“They’re not monsters Rainbow!” Margaret reminded angrily

“Exactly!” Twilight agreed angrily

“I agree with them so please, stop bullying them and if you don’t like cats just go to Angel’s Share” Lumine said

“And let you get stuck with all of the cat’s fur, no, no, I don’t think so, I’ll be joining you and making sure that doesn’t happen” Rainbow said angrily

“By the way girls, didn’t you two say that you’re here to see the kitties? If you’re up for it, perhaps you could accompany Diona to retrieve them” Margaret said

“Really? Why?” Twilight asked

“Maybe after interacting with them for a bit the cats will get to know you and seek more of your attention” Margaret reminded

“Good idea, let’s do it then” Lumine said

“What?! Are you seriously gonna team up with them?!” Rainbow asked in shock

“Yes we are and you’re gonna help us, it’s as simple as that” Twilight said

“Ugh fine but when I have the chance I’ll sue you for ruining my awesome life with such cuteness” Rainbow said angrily

Lumine, Diona, Margaret and especially Twilight were shocked at what Rainbow just said which made Rainbow confused before realizing what she said

“Let’s ignore that shall we” Rainbow suggested

“Agreed/Yeah, let’s do it” The group said in unison in agreement

“Anyways, the three cats that snuck out are Roger, Nelson and Paisley” Margaret explained

“Cool!” Twilight explained

“I gotta say, Roger’s a good name!” Rainbow said

“That’s the only thing you agree on?!” Twilight asked in disbelief

“Yeah, kinda” Rainbow answered nervously

“Don’t worry Twilight, she might just love it because it’s from her favorite voice actor or something” Lumine said

“Voice actor?” Twilight asked

“A person that voices characters in movies and shows, did you not hear about that when you went to the human world?” Lumine asked

“No I didn’t, I mean, I got there twice and there wasn’t even one day with a single mention of voice actors” Twilight explained

“Hmm, alright then, when you see Sunset you should definitely ask her” Lumine said

“Of course, will do” Twilight said

“Anyways, Diona, you usually take care of them so you should be quite familiar with these three, right?” Margaret asked

Diona who heard that then groaned in disbelief

“Them again?! And they even dared to sneak out during working hours… Don’t they have any sense of duty as tavern cats?” Diona asked

“Tavern cats? What’s that?” Twilight asked

“You know, I’m confused too” Rainbow agreed

“Come on Diona, not every kitty can be as reliable and caring as you Diona” Margaret reminded in disbelief with a small chuckle

“I am not a cat!” Diona reminded angrily

“Yeah, she’s not! …Or is she?” Rainbow asked in confusion

“You know that answer well, miss colorful pony!” Diona reminded

“For the record, my name is Rainbow Dash not colorful pony” Rainbow said angrily

“...Whatever” Diona said in disbelief before turning to Margaret “So all we have to do is to bring them back to the tavern, right? This shouldn’t be a problem, let’s scurry out of here, they love wandering around the center of town so let’s check there first” Diona suggested

“Let’s get going then” Twilight said

“A rescue mission for cats? Fine by me, as long as they don’t begin purring cutely” Rainbow said

“I’ll leave you girls to it, in the meantime I’ll keep an eye on things here at the tavern, once you’ve found the little rascals, please bring them right back” Margaret suggested

“Of course, we’ll be back before you know it” Lumine said

The group then followed Diona away from the Cat’s Tail and to the center of the town where they suddenly stopped in confusion

“Hmm, their tracks end here… Looks like they ran off somewhere else” Diona said

“Then how do we find them?” Lumine asked

“At this point Paimon would’ve asked us to use our elemental sight but that wouldn’t work in this case” Twilight said

“Agreed! Diona, got any ideas yourself?” Rainbow asked

“Yeah, don’t worry, those cats are very stubborn especially so stubborn that they’re also easy to understand so I have another idea” Diona said

“Really? Tell us” Twilight suggested

“Alright, let’s pay a visit to Marjorie at ‘With Wind Comes Glory’, Roger broke his cat toy recently and I ordered him a new one there” Diona explained before thinking “Maybe he snuck out because he didn’t have anything to play with…” Diona thought out loud

“Seems like you know him really well” Lumine said with a heartwarming smile

“I-I only know these things because I want them to do their job and not mess around!” Diona explained nervously

“I know how you feel, I feel the same when I see cute faces such as theirs” Rainbow explained

“Thanks, now c’mon, let’s head over to Marjorie’s store” Diona said

The group then began walking towards ‘With Wind Comes Glory’ where they saw Marjorie looking at Diona in happiness

“Oh, hello Diona, you must be here for the cat toy you ordered? I just finished preparing it and made it extra durable according to your request, your kitty should be able to play with this one for quite some time” Marjorie said with a smile

“Much appreciated! Margaret will come and settle the fees later” Diona said

“No problem!” Marjorie said before thinking “So, that cat named Roger… Is he usually at the Cat’s Tail?” Marjorie asked

“That’s right, he’s almost always in the tavern” Diona answered

“Wonderful! I’ll definitely make some time to head to the tavern and play with him” Marjorie said

“Oh I see… Well, you’re welcome to visit anytime” Diona said

“I gotta say though, you’re awfully particular when it comes to taking care of that cat” Marjorie said before chuckling a bit “You even provided me a list of materials to use for his cat toy” Marjorie explained

“That’s just because Roger tends to get excited whenever he plays with the customers and he always ends up ruining his toy. This time we needed to make it more durable so that it would last longer but he usually just lounges on the cabinets when no one’s around…” Diona explained

“Maybe he just needs someone to play with?” Lumine asked

“You really think so? Hmph, I’m not interested in figuring out what those cats are thinking, they’re just stubborn, that’s how all cats are” Diona explained

“Yeah, I have got to agree” Rainbow said, causing Twilight to hit her in the hoof hard “Ouch! What was that for?” Rainbow asked angrily

“Let’s just head over to see Sara at Good Hunter, she always makes Nelson’s cat food” Diona reminded

“Wow! I thought you guys did” Twilight said in disbelief

“Well yeah but he’s the one that always eats the most and even though he’s always eating he somehow weighs the lightest, I really have no idea what he’s up to all the time…” Diona explained

“Weird” Twilight agreed before clearing her throat “Ahem, well, let’s continue on then” Twilight suggested

Diona then grabbed the toy she got from Sara as the group then went to ‘Good Hunter’ and once they arrived they saw Sara there

“Welcome to Good Hunter” Sara said before she realized Lumine, Twilight, Rainbow and Diona were there “Oh, hi there girls! How can I help you all?” Sara asked

“Hello Sara, I’d like some more of that cat food I bought last time” Diona answered

“Oh, is my favorite kitty Nelson hungry again?” Sara asked in disbelief before chuckling a bit “Hold on one moment, I’ll have the kitchen prepare it for you” Sara said

Sara then rushes into the kitchen and just as quickly as she disappeared she came back and this time with another bowl full of cat food

“Alright, here’s the cat food, it hardly takes any ingredients to make so it’s on the house!” Sara explained

Twilight then picked the bowl with her magic and turned to Sara

“Thank you for your help Sara” Twilight thanked

“No need, anything for Diona “Sara said before she got a worried look as she put her hands together to beg “But please, if you can, bring Nelson with you next time… Everyone wants to pet him!” Sara reminded

“Sure, I-I’ll see if he wants to come” Diona said

The group then went far away from Sara as Lumine turned to Diona

“You think cat food will do the trick?” Lumine asked

“Well… Nelson’s not usually very fond of people but as soon as he smells some dried fish he’ll do anything you say” Diona explained before getting a disgusted and a disbelief look “And once he starts eating, ugh, he doesn’t ever stop, someone has to drag him away from the food… Kinda like the old drunks at the tavern” Diona explained in disgust and disbelief before giving a brave look again “But the amount of cat food isn’t too much this time so it’ll be fine if he finishes it all” Diona explained

“That sounds a little troublesome” Twilight said

“Anyways, we have all we need for now, let’s go find Roger and Nelson, we’ll deal with Paisley later” Diona said

The group then looked at each other in confusion before deciding it was better left unasked as Rainbow turned to Diona

“Let’s start with Roger” Rainbow suggested

“Alright, Roger always likes to sit in high places so… Maybe we should go check the rooftops” Diona said before getting worried “Do any of you know how to get on top of the buildings here? If not you can just wait down here and I’ll take care of it” Diona said

“Not exactly, I’m only good at climbing cliffs” Lumine explained

“Very well then, got any other ideas anyone?” Diona asked

“Well, I can teleport but I have no idea what the top of the roofs look like” Twilight explained

“Well, I could fly and look around, does that help?” Rainbow asked

“Yes” Diona answered in relief

“Alright, Then I’m on it!” Rainbow said

Rainbow then began to fly before Twilight tugged on her tail with her tail

“Rainbow, we can’t fly or climb in my case, remember” Twilight reminded

“Oh right, hop on then” Rainbow said

The trio then hopped onto Rainbow who then grunted

“Okay, I may be a Knight of Favonius but I did not know you all were this heavy” Rainbow said

“That must be because I’m a bucking horse!” Twilight reminded

“True, well then, let’s get on our way!” Rainbow said

“Agreed, let’s go up and look for Roger together” Diona suggested

Rainbow then nodded before she began to trot while spreading and flapping her wings until she manage to fly up as she used all her might to lift up herself with three people on her (Especially Twilight) as the group looked all over the high spots and after a while Diona found Roger making her point at it

“Wait, see that cat there? That’s Roger! Oh, he really picked a high place to sit this time…” Diona called out in relief and disbelief

“Finally, let’s go and get him!” Rainbow ordered before she wanted to fly again only for Diona to grab one of her wings causing her to fly sideways “What was that for?” Rainbow asked

Diona then let go as Rainbow steadied herself again while Lumine held a now dangling Twilight

“Sorry but don’t get too close, if we startle him he might run away” Diona said

Rainbow then groaned as Rainbow then flew towards another part of the rooftop as Lumine and Diona then climbed off while Twilight was dragged on top of the rooftop

“Finally! I was getting tired from carrying all that strength!” Rainbow said in disbelief

“Alright, now you two, stay here and don’t make a sound, me and Lumine will handle Roger” Lumine said

“‘Roger that’” Twilight said

After saying that Rainbow and Lumine had to struggle not to laugh while Diona scoffed a bit

“Haha, very funny” Diona said sarcastically before shushing “Now stay quiet girls” Diona said before the duo then slowly approached Roger while also making sure they don’t get too close “Okay, remember all the things we prepared? Now’s the time to make use of them” Diona said

“Exactly” Lumine said

“Do you remember what would be better for attracting Roger?” Diona asked

“Of course, the cat toy” Lumine answered

“Hey, you’ve got a pretty good memory, that’s right, cat toys are Roger’s favorite” Diona said

Diona then slowly approached Roger and put the cat toy as far as she could while it was still in her hands and once Roger saw the cat toy he slowly approached the toy and sniffed it before he began playing with it and once he was distracted Diona turned to Lumine who knew what she meant as Lumine slowly went towards a distracted Roger and picked him up while Diona still held the toy in her face

“That was a great distraction” Lumine said

“I agree” Diona said before turning to Roger with a frown “Don’t make me do that again, you hear that Roger?” Diona asked

But all Roger did was purr which made Diona irritated but she knew she couldn’t get mad even if she wanted to quit working with them

“Still, he did let his guard down almost immediately, looks like he was just waiting for someone to come play with him” Diona explained in disbelief

“Yeah, just wondering but do any of the staff give attention to them?” Lumine asked

“Well… Sometimes but it’s mostly the customers that give attention to them, guess they must’ve gotten bored thanks to the vacation yesterday, I should probably bring them home if it’s weekend again and nobody can take care of them” Diona explained worriedly

“Alright but don’t worry if you can’t, I can always come and sleep at the Cat’s Tail while taking care of them” Lumine reminded

“That’ll be much appreciated” Diona said

“Still, it’s no wonder the customers like him so much, the first thing they ask is when they visit the tavern is if Roger is around… Yeesh” Diona said in disbelief

“What should I tell? Do I say Rainbow has her own fan club or something a bit more helpful?” Lumine thought

“Maybe he has a fanclub of his own, Rainbow had one too in her home world” Lumine explained

“Yeah that’s the problem! Who cares about specialty drinks when you have these fluffy little kitties to play with, right? If you ask me, the tavern doesn’t need any more new drinks to attract customers, just get more cats and people will come!” Diona explained in disbelief

“Unless they’re Rainbow Dash” Lumine explained

“Huh?” Diona asked in confusion

“Nothing” Lumine said nervously

“Alright let’s bring Roger to our friends and go find Nelson” Diona said

The duo with Roger then went towards Rainbow and Twilight who were chatting quietly before they heard the duo approaching as they turned to Diona and Lumine

“We’re back!” Lumine said

The duo then noticed the cat Lumine was holding as Twilight rushed towards it in awe while Rainbow only rolled her eyes in disgust

“Is that Roger?!” Twilight asked

“Yes it is” Diona answered

“Well then, how did he get here, did he secretly have wings?” Rainbow asked

“I’m not sure, maybe he’s that good in climbing or a bird caught him” Lumine explained

“A bird caught him? How exactly do you think the bird catches him?” Twilight explained

“I’m not sure, guess the cat must’ve climbed that far” Lumine said

“Alright then” Twilight said

“Can we just get to the business at hoof now please?” Rainbow asked in disgust and disbelief

“We may as well” Diona said

The group then went onto Rainbow’s back and when they all were on her she helped the group get to the ground where the group went off of Rainbow

“So Diona, what’s the next place on the list?” Twilight asked

“Hmm, Nelson likes places that are warm, in fact, the last time I went looking for him I found him in the bush next to the blacksmith so let’s go look for him there” Diona suggested

The group then went to the blacksmith where they looked around before Rainbow found Nelson

“Over here girls” Rainbow said

The group then slowly approached Rainbow and Nelson where they stood in front of him only to see he was beginning to fall asleep

“Yup, I knew we’d find Nelson here… And he looks like he’s about to fall asleep, huh, could it really be more comfortable than in the tavern?” Diona asked

“I think so seeing as he doesn’t like people” Lumine explained

“Anyway, let’s take out the thing we’ve prepared, I’ll let you give him it Twilight’ Diona said

“I’m not it” Twilight said

Twilight then teleported the cat food for Nelson into her magic which she then put on the ground using her magic

“Nelson loves eating this stuff, the cat food will definitely make him happy” Twilight said

The group then watched for a moment as they saw Nelson approach his food and sniffing it before he began to eat it with a happy sound

“Aww!” Twilight and Lumine called out

Meanwhile Rainbow scoffed in disbelief while Diona was confused once more as she got angry

“Didn’t the customers at the tavern already feed you enough? How can you still be so excited to see food all the time?” Diona said but the cat didn’t listen as he continued to eat “And there you go snarfing everything down as always… Why do customers like you so much? They even fight over who gets to feed you!” Diona said angrily before she began to think suspiciously “Are you just pretending to be hungry all the time just to get the customers to come take care of you?” Diona asked angrily before getting calmer but still looking at him with a frown “What a cheeky little guy… No wonder customers completely forget about their drinks after seeing him” Diona said in disbelief

“Should I taunt Diona or just give her a compliment? Let me think” Lumine thought

“Maybe you should take a hint from him and do what he does” Lumine suggested

“Take a hint… From him?” Diona asked angrily before scoffing “Forget it! We should probably just get more cats at the tavern, they seem to attract more customer than my drinks” Diona said angrily

“That’s not what I—” Lumine started before she felt Diona’s glare staring into her soul “Sorry” Lumine said

“It’s no problem, go ahead, pick him up, he doesn’t weigh much, I really have no idea how he stays so light…” Diona said

“Alright” Lumine said

Lumine then put Roger onto Twilight’s back who was distracting him with the toy in her magic grasp while Lumine picked up Nelson before she turned to Rainbow

“Mind if I sit on you for once?” Lumine asked

“Nah, not really, I mean, how are you supposed to continue giving him food anyway?” Rainbow asked

“True” Lumine said

Lumine then went to put Nelson on Rainbow’s back before she picked up the cat bowl and sat behind Nelson while holding the bowl making sure Nelson can eat

“Alright, let’s go find Paisley, he used to always sneak out to go to the Cathedral before so let’s start there” Diona said

“Does he like cat food? I mean, there’s more room for both of them” Lumine asked

“Nope… He doesn’t like either of the things that Roger and Nelson likes, I’ll tell you more when we get there” Diona said

The group then went towards the Mondstadt Cathedral as they looked around for clues where Nelson is until they saw a bunch of cats sitting together

“What’s going on there?” Twilight asked

“Paisley’s over there, follow me” Diona said

The duo then walked over towards the group of cats as Diona could only look in relief

“Just where I thought I’d find you Paisley” Diona said in relief

“So… What should we do now?” Lumine asked

“We don’t need to do anything, Paisley just doesn’t fancy anything special, he just does whatever he’s in the mood for so… Just to sum it up, he’s just a self-centered little cat” Diona explained

“That’s a bit troublesome” Twilight explained in worry

“Agreed, we may as well just quit” Rainbow said

“Even back at the tavern he hardly ever interacts with any customers, usually he prefers to play with the other kittens” Diona explained before shaking her head “But enough about Paisley, let’s just take him and head back, I’ll pick him up as he doesn’t usually run away when I carry him in the tavern” Diona suggested before she noticed Lumine smiling brightly with tears in her eyes

“Uhh, wait, you want to pick him up? I’m telling you Paisley just ignores strangers” Diona reminded

“Exactly, pretty please!” Lumine started

Rainbow then rushed over to her and pulled her back in worry

“Are you sure? I mean, these cats… They’re too cute, what if you get too attached?!” Rainbow asked in worry

“Of course” Lumine said

“Very well then” Rainbow said

Lumine then slowly began to approach Paisley who easily got out of her hands

“See? No response at all… Here, just let me do it” Diona suggested before she turned to Paisley with a serious look “Listen Paisley, just be good and stay there okay?” Diona asked

Paisley then lovingly approaches Diona and began rubbing one of her legs causing Twilight and Lumine to look in awe while Rainbow only groaned while Diona crouched down and rubbed Paisley’s chin

“Good kitty, ohh, that’ll do, you really are pretty cute when you’re being good…” Diona said happily

“Alright that’s it!” Rainbow said angrily before she approached Paisley “Go into Lumine’s hands or else I’ll make sure you regret ever seeing me!” Rainbow said angrily

Twilight then pulled Rainbow back

“Rainbow, calm down! He’s just a kitten!” Twilight reminded

“Well, I don’t care, this cuteness is hurting my dignity, this has got to stop, just pick him up and go before I die from embarrassment” Rainbow ordered angrily while turning to Diona

“Hey!” Diona said angrily as she turned to Rainbow “Why are you looking at me like that huh?! He only listens to me because I feed him all the time, that’s all, no need to get so enraged” Diona said angrily

“Are you serious?! Then why don’t I feed him! And it’ll not be in a cute way!” Rainbow said angrily

“Rainbow stop!” Twilight ordered angrily before turning to Diona “Why’s he doing that though?” Twilight asked

“Well, for some reason, some customers actually like his persona, once Paisley bobbles his head at them they all start looking like they’d be willing to buy him cat food for the rest of his life” Diona explained before sighing in worry and disbelief “If only we got a few more cats at the Cat’s Tail, then I wouldn’t need to spend all my time making drinks anymore, all I’d have to do is take care of the kitties and let the customers come and pet them” Diona said in worry and sadness

“Lumine, remind Diona about the drinks and the kitties” Rainbow said

“Don’t listen to Rainbow, she’s trying to anger Diona and we wouldn’t wanna do that, right?” Twilight asked

“Hmm…” Lumine thought

Team up with Twilight

Remind Diona about how the customers got to know the cats

Tell the Truth

“Well, Draff said that he had just found some so let’s ask him” Lumine suggested

“Pff! I wouldn’t trust a single word this old drunk say but go ahead and talk to him if you believe him” Diona suggested before scoffing in disbelief “There’s probably nothing but some leftover booze in his flask anyway” Diona reminded

Lumine then turned to the guy

“Draff, may we take a look at your flask? Diona needs to use some of that herbal soup” Lumine explained

The guy called then began thinking before he realized something

“Oh! Sure… Here, take it, just don’t spill it, it took a lot of…” Draff started before hiccuping “...A lot of work to get that stuff” Draff reminded

Draff then gave Diona the flask to which the latter sighed in disbelief

“You actually asked him for the soup? C’mon, don’t waste any more time, there’s only—” Diona started before she smelled what was in the flask making her grunt in disgust “What’s that smell?!” Diona asked before coughing in disgust “Get that stuff away from me! Yuck, that’s awful!” Diona said in disgust before she realized something “Wait…” Diona realized as she coughed for a moment “Could this really be that herbal soup?” Diona asked

“How ‘bout that! Daddy remembered what you…” Draff started before hiccuping for a moment “Told me… Ah… Give your old man some credit, I made a promise and I kept it… I…” Draff started before laughing a bit “Wouldn’t ever let my baby down…” Draff said before chuckling

“...” Diona thought in disbelief

“Well, what do you know, you’ve got the Hilichurl soup you’ve wanted!” Twilight said happily

“Yeah I know!” Diona said angrily before turning to Draff with an embarrassed look “My genius father… What are you gonna use to hold your booze in now that you’ve filled your flask with this stuff, hmm?” Diona asked

“I’ll just drink straight from the bottle!” Draff answered before chuckling a bit “It’s not a problem…” Draff suggested before hiccuping “Not a problem at all…” Draff said happily

“Well, looks like we have everything we need” Lumine said in relief

“Right, I’ll whip up a concoction to sober him up, it won’t take long, I mean, this soup was meant to give Hilichurls energy, combined with some ingredients I have, this should snap him right out of it” Diona explained before chuckling a bit “Good thing I brought my shaker with me, uh… It’d be a waste to use up all the ingredients at once” Diona reminded

“When did you— Nevermind, I do not wanna know” Twilight said in shock and confusion

“Are you really sure you can use this to sober him up?” Lumine asked

“Patience you two, I have my ways… Just sit back and watch” Diona suggested

Diona then began to mix the ingredients to try and help her dad get back to his normal self while Lumine, Rainbow and Twilight watched and soon enough she was done as she put the entire thing back in his dad’s flask

“Alright, it’s finished!” Diona said in relief before she turned to her dad “Here daddy, drink this” Diona suggested

“No! I-I can’t drink anymore! If I drink more my daughter will be very angry with me…” Draff reminded

“Guess he lost his memories again thanks to the beverage” Rainbow whispered to Twilight

“Yeah, he must’ve drank a lot if this happened” Twilight whispered back

“No more, can’t drink… Anymore! Drinking— Is— Bad” Draff said worriedly

Diona then scoffed in disbelief and anger

“Why would he remember stuff like that now?!” Diona asked angrily before pressing the flask on his chest as Draff could only look in shock “C’mon! Just! Drink it!” Diona ordered angrily

Draff worriedly then took a sip causing him to chuckle for a moment before turning to Diona

“Hey! This tastes pretty good… Fine, I’ll drink… A little bit… JUST a little bit though” Draff reminded

“Yeah that’s right, just a little bit, now, down the hatch!” Diona ordered

Draff then began drinking the herbal soup Diona made for him before he stopped and turned to Diona in relief with a sigh

“Wow… Wow, that was incredible…” Draff said in relief before he realized where he was and who was in front of him as he gasped in shock and worry “Wh-What are you doing here Diona?” Draff asked before grunting in pain “And… Why does my head hurt so bad?” Draff asked

“What’s going on…?” Lumine thought in shock and confusion

“Did I see that right…?” Rainbow thought in shock and confusion

“Could those ingredients really make something that good?” Twilight thought in shock and confusion

Diona then sighed in relief

“That seemed to do the trick, if you’re sober now then let’s hurry and get out of here” Diona suggested

Draff then thought in confusion before he realized something

“Oh right… I remember now, I came here looking for something, I think it was some kind of… Herbal soup or something?” Draff thought out loud before he realized it “Yeah, that’s it! Herbal soup! The one you told me about last time Diona, Samachurls made that stuff a-and I found it!” Draff realized as he searched for his flask “I filled my whole flask with it too! It’ll definitely be enough for you, it’s right here…” Draff explained but when he tapped the spot it was on he got worried “Wait, where’s my flask? Oh no… I didn’t lose it did I?” Draff asked in worry and confusion

“Actually, um, Diona has it” Rainbow explained

“And she may or may not have already used the soup to sober you up” Lumine explained

“Really? Did I… Drink too much again?” Draff asked as Twilight nodded “Oh…” Draff realized in defeat

“Nevermind daddy, I’m already used to it but now that you’re sober let’s start heading back, Allan and the others are waiting at the entrance” Diona explained

“Ah! That’s right…” Draff realized as he sighed in disbelief “I completely forgot about Allan…” Draff said in disbelief

“How do you feel daddy? If you still can’t walk Twilight can help you” Diona said

“Yeah, I mean, I’ve literally had a dragon on my back most of my entire life!” Twilight explained

“No no, I’m fine, let’s get going” Draff suggested before sighing in disbelief and embarrassment “I… Must have gotten carried away with my drinking again… Diona, I’m…” Draff started before giving another sigh in worry

“Daddy… I’ve seen it all before, besides, you’ve done way weirder things when you’ve been drinking like the time you chased dogs around town calling them Hilihounds or that other time you filled empty bottles with the town’s spring water and kept chucking that down…” Diona reminded

“Seriously?! I didn’t know it was that bad!” Rainbow said in shock

“That does seem random, even for an hunter’s standards” Twilight agreed

“Oh and don’t forget that time you begged Myweiss to write you a song about a hunter and his… Loyal Hilihound” Diona reminded

“Now that’s next level” Rainbow said in shock

“Please help me unsee it guys, I can’t handle all this!” Twilight said in agreement

“Yeah, I agree! That’s enough, the Honorary Knights and Rainbow can hear you, you know…” Draff reminded

Diona then began thinking out loud for a moment

“What you did this time was actually pretty normal compared to what you’ve done in the past” Diona reminded

Draff then sighed in relief

“Good thing I found that herbal soup, otherwise we really would have been up a creek without a paddle…” Draff said in relief

“...” Diona gasped in shock and disbelief “Thanks daddy” Diona muttered embarrassingly

“Huh? What’d you say? I couldn’t hear you very well…” Draff asked

“Ummm, I said don’t drink so much!” Diona answered angrily

“Okay, okay… I know, I’ll try to drink less from now on” Draff promised

Diona then scoffed and sighed in disbelief

“Silly old man” Diona muttered in disbelief

The group then walked back to the camping area where Allan was waiting for them and once he saw them he sighed in relief

“It’s Diona, Rainbow and the Honorary Knights, you’ve brought Draff back! Thank goodness you’re all alright, I was about to report to the Knights of Favonius if you took any longer” Allan said in relief

“Sorry, we had a drunkard to turn back to normal” Twilight apologized

“Wait what?!” Allan asked in shock before turning to Draff “Are you okay?” Allan asked

“I’m fine thanks to Diona, Rainbow and the Travelers, otherwise things might have ended very differently” Draff reminded while turning to his saviors before turning to Allan “Allan, go round up the others, let’s tally up our game and head back to Springvale” Draff ordered

“Understood, I’ll get right on it” Allan said

Allan then ran off as the group watched him leave before turning back to Draff

“Girls… Will you be coming back to Springvale with us?” Draff asked

“No, we only came here for the herbal soup” Diona answered

“Yeah, and besides we’ve found it, though, it has changed our choice quite a bit” Rainbow explained

“Yeah, not to mention, the smell was too much for us” Twilight agreed

“Yes especially since you found it for us so we’ll return to Mondstadt” Diona explained

“Alright” Draff said as the group left as he called out to them “Wait! Do you still have enough left over after making the stuff to sober me up?” Draff asked

“Of course we do, I’m a professional bartender, there’s no way I’d use up all my ingredients at once” Diona said before scoffing a bit “The remainder will be enough for what I need” Diona explained before she turned around “Now, if that’s all, we’ll be on our way back to Mondstadt then so just hurry up and get yourself back to Springvale daddy” Diona suggested before giving one more glare “Oh and don’t drink so much!” Diona ordered

“I know, I know, don’t worry, I mean, I don’t even have my flask anymore…” Draff reminded

“Yeah right! Who knows how many more of those you have” Diona reminded

T-True” Draff said

The group then waved before they went towards Diona who gave them a smile

Girls, we’ve gathered all the ingredients we need so let’s head back to the Cat’s Tail and when we arrive I’ll make you girls a supreme specialty drink that will shatter every fantasy you’ve ever had about booze” Diona suggested

“Hah! Challenge accepted!” Rainbow said

The group then left which Draff saw as he sighed in relief

“Drinking sure causes a lot of trouble, I really need to control myself from now on” Draff reminded

Soon Allan came back as he turned to Draff

“Draff, everyone’s ready, we can head out once we’ve tallied up the hunt” Allan explained

Meanwhile the group arrived back at Mondstadt as they went towards the Cat’s Tail’s staircase where they turned to Diona

“Alright, let’s go inside, I’ll clean my shaker and pour out the herbal soup from the old man’s flask…” Diona said before she noticed the group was looking at her in confusion “What’s wrong? Didn’t you all want a cocktail? Why are you all just staring like that?” Diona asked

“Well, how are you able to make anything from an ingredient that smells like that?” Lumine asked

Diona then gasped in realization

“So that’s what you’re all wondering, I can’t help it, basically, any drink that’s made by my hands can only be a good drink” Diona reminded before sighing in disbelief “This isn’t a bartender’s pride talking, this is a fact” Diona explained

“Sounds cool, try making the worst possible drink and we’ll see if it tastes great!” Rainbow suggested

“RAINBOW!” Lumine and Twilight called out in anger

“I-I mean, try making the best drink ever, not anything disgusting” Rainbow suggested nervously

“But regardless of the type of ingredients or method, as long as I make the drink myself, it’s bound to be delicious however that’s just the way it is for now, I’ve been searching for a solution and the herbal soup is one of the ingredients that I’ve been searching for” Diona explained

“And yet it didn’t work according to you” Twilight explained

“Yeah but once I find the solution I’ll show those old boozehounds how terrible alcohol really is” Diona said before laughing maniacally

“Why am I feeling a bit of worry for myself right now?” Rainbow whispered

“Because she’s planning on making the worst booze the world’s ever seen” Twilight whispered back

“B-But, isn’t this Mondstadt? The city of freedom and wine?” Rainbow whispered

“Well, yes but I think Draff drank too much which made her hate booze” Twilight whispered

“Hmm, I have an idea” Rainbow said

“What is it?” Diona asked

“Well, is it alright if I tell Jean about your troubles with Draff and the booze?” Rainbow asked

“Huh, why?” Diona asked

“Well, I think Jean could send somebody to investigate your father and see how badly he drinks the booze and what actions he does but if he goes too far he’ll be put in prison for a few months until he keeps that in mind” Rainbow explained

“Wait, really?” Diona asked

“Yeah, I’m not doing this because I want booze or whatever, I’m doing this to help you feel a bit safer with your father, what do you think?” Rainbow asked

“Well, my dad is going too far at times so sure” Diona said

“Though you’ll have to promise me one thing despite the amount of which you hate booze” Rainbow explained

“What is it?” Diona asked

“You’ll stop trying to make the most disgusting type of booze” Rainbow said

“Very well, I accept” Diona said before turning to the others “Hey girls, aren’t you two here for a drink yourselves? Come on in, I have plenty of ingredients to whip you up something special inside” Diona said

Twilight and Lumine then looked at each other in shock before turning to Diona and Rainbow before nodding

“It won’t be bad, right?” Twilight asked

“Yeah and after I make you my specialty drink I promise you’ll never want to set foot in another tavern except the Cat’s Tail ever again” Diona said

“That bad huh…” Lumine said with a smirk

“Well, we accept your challenge” Twilight said

“Uh, well… Yeah but I also said that’s only for now, there are plenty of methods and ingredients I haven’t tried yet” Diona reminded

“Ooh, sounds interesting, it isn’t bad, right?” Rainbow asked

“Of course not!” Diona answered

“Just hurry up and come in… And prepare for a specialty drink that I’m making just for you!” Diona reminded before making cat noises

The group then rushed into the tavern with Diona following after them

Side with Rainbow

“I have decided” Lumine said

“Really?!” Twilight and Rainbow called out

“Yep, sorry Twilight but I want to try some new specialty drinks” Lumine explained

“What are you serious?! But aren’t you worried it’ll be poisoned?! We don’t even know what this place is!” Twilight explained

“I know you’re worried but I’m sure everything will be fine” Lumine said

“So you’re all here for the drinks? I’m sorry but unfortunately we’re pretty much out of ingredients, besides—” Margaret started

“Besides, you don’t look like you’re even old enough to drink yet!” Diona said

“Argh! Are we gonna have the same fight again?!” Rainbow asked in shock

“Calm down Rainbow, she’s just confused” Twilight said

“But you shouldn’t judge a girl for their age, you said that right?!” Rainbow asked angrily

“Well yes but—” Twilight started

“See, so please for the sake of my dignity do not say Lumine’s too young to drink again!” Rainbow pleaded

“Fine” Diona said in disbelief and irritation

“Thanks for your help Rainbow but a non-alcoholic beverage would be fine as well” Lumine explained

“You sure?” Rainbow asked

“Mhmm” Lumine answered while nodding her head

Rainbow then puts her hoof on her face

“I think you’ll need to be teached on how to handle bullies” Rainbow said in disbelief

“Let’s ignore that for now shall we?” Twilight asked

“Good idea” Rainbow said

“So you want a non-alcoholic beverage Lumine? There are tons of other places in Mondstadt that serve that but seeing as you came all the way to a tavern for a non-alcoholic drink that must mean you have your own views about alcohol, right?” Diona asked before she realized something “Unless you just want to try a drink because you think it’s a romantic thing that adults do” Diona said before grunting in disbelief “Those sleazy old men over there once thought the same thing you know!” Diona said turning to the two drunkards walking by and when they were gone Diona sighed in disbelief “I just don’t get why everyone is so obsessed with alcohol, what’s so good about it anyway?” Diona asked

Margaret then turned to Diona angrily

“That’s enough Diona, this traveler obviously made a trip here with her friends just to have a drink, we should always do our best to satisfy the customers’ needs so consider this the tavern management’s request” Margaret ordered

Diona then sighed in defeat and disbelief

“Oh alright! So three special cocktails is all I need to make, right?” Diona asked in disbelief only to see Margaret nodding “Fine, since you seem to fantasize about alcohol so much I’ll make them something that’ll crush whatever dreams you’ve had about the stuff that way maybe you won’t become another one of those annoying and smelly old drunks…” Diona said with a brave look before she had an idea “Though we do have some drink base and flavoring ingredients left, since you’re looking for a special drink I’m willing to put in the effort and search for some special ingredients” Diona explained before she realized something “But considering the time I can only make either the drink’s base or flavoring more special” Diona explained before she turned to the trio “So… What’ll it be? The drink’s base or flavoring to be more unique? Hmm?” Diona asked

“Let us have a quick chat about it” Twilight said

The trio then moved back a bit as they discussed the choices

“To be fair, I want the base to be more awesome” Rainbow explained

“Well, I have to assume the base is not actually needed but the flavor is so I’ll pick the flavor” Twilight explained

“What about you Lumine, I know it’s dangerous seeing as she wants to remove the tastiness but you can still decide for us, we won’t be mad” Rainbow said

“Exactly, whatever you pick, we’ll go along with you” Twilight agreed

Lumine then began thinking on what she wants

“Hmm, I’ll pick…” Lumine thought

The Base

The Flavoring

The Base

“I’ll go with Rainbow’s choice, since the base matters more than the flavor” Lumine explained

“Awesome!” Rainbow said excitedly

Twilight then got a sad look before she gave a forced smile

“Let’s go tell Diona” Twilight said

The trio then approached Diona

“So… Have you two decided?” Diona asked

“Yes, we’d like the base to be more unique…” Lumine answered

“A drink with a special base huh? Hmm, looks like you three already possess plenty of potential to become a roaring drunkard so I’m gonna have to really knock some sense into you three with this one” Diona thought out loud before clearing her throat “Anyway, let’s head to Dadaupa Gorge, I know just the place to find an unique drink base” Diona explained

“Alright then, lead the way” Twilight said

“Yep and don’t worry, we’ll protect you in case of dangers” Rainbow said

The group then began walking to Dadaupa Gorge and when they got nearby Diona turned to her friends

“Dadaupa Gorge is just up ahead, we should be able to find a special drink base there” Diona explained

“Really?” Twilight asked

“Yeah, an adventurer who visited the tavern told me that he once ventured deep into Dadaupa Gorge and discovered a type of drink inside the cooking pots of a hilichurl tribe who lived there” Diona explained

“Ooh!” Twilight, Lumine and Rainbow called out in awe

“The drink is actually an herbal soup made by Samachurls using a variety of ingredients and according to the adventurer, it seems like the Samachurls made these drinks to grant the tribe more energy, the adventurer also said that just by taking a single whiff of it and I quote… ‘I wasn’t able to determine whether or not I took in the smell because as soon as I tried to smell it, it began to feel like my nose was being trampled by a hundred forest boars so I couldn’t feel my nose anymore, let alone smell anything…’” Diona explained before scoffing in disbelief “Even though he lost his sense of smell he still remembered to come and drink, he even started telling me that my delicious cocktails would help his nose regain it’s sense of smell again…” Diona explained glaring at Mondstadt in anger “What a hopeless drunk… He was probably just exaggerating and hoping for more drinks” Diona said angrily

“I don’t think so, he sounded really thankful” Twilight explained

“Yeah, even I think so” Rainbow agreed

“But whether or not he was exaggerating is not important, the idea of using a hilichurl drink as a base for my cocktails is one I’m definitely interested in” Diona said before chuckling a bit

“Maybe we can use something else instead” Lumine suggested worriedly

“No way! Normal ingredients will never suffice for a special cocktail, we must use something special” Diona reminded

“Did we now?” Rainbow asked

Diona then glared at her

“Of course and besides, I’ve never used such ingredients before either, this will be my latest drink, just wait and you three will be the first ones to try it” Diona reminded angrily before turning stopping and turning to the trio with a brave look “Now listen up, I had that old adventurer mark the location for me so all we have to do is get there and grab what we need and since we’re only on the outskirts of Dadaupa Gorge, we’ll have to walk further in so we still have quite a ways to go” Diona reminded

“Alright!” Rainbow said

The four then continued to walk as Diona began speaking

“I also told my father about the Samachurl herbal soup, he said that he would keep an eye out for it but he’s probably just saying that, once he’s had enough drinks in him he can’t even remember his own name, let alone the herbal soup I mentioned, oh well, I never had high hopes for him anyway, looks like I’m going to have to get the special drink base on my own” Diona explained in disbelief

The group soon arrived at Dadaupa Gorge where they heard somebody saying something

“Hmm? Someone’s approaching…” The guy said out loud

The group then approached the guy standing at the entrance who then noticed Diona

“Diona? Is that you?” The guy asked in shock

“Huh?” Diona asked as she turned around only to realize who it was “Oh, I know you… You’re the one that usually goes hunting with my father” Diona realized

“Yeah, my name is Allan, I’m part of the hunting team that Draff leads” Allan introduced

“Huh, so if you’re here that must mean my father is also somewhere nearby” Diona realized in shock before glaring at Allan “Well, where is he huh? Oh I’ll bet he drank too much again after the hunt and fell asleep somewhere, waiting for someone to drag him back to Springvale” Diona reminded angrily

Allan then chuckled nervously

“I-I wish that were the case…” Allan said nervously while rubbing the back of his head before turning back to the group “I’m afraid that Draff… Well, h-he rushed into Dadaupa Gorge by himself!” Allan called out worriedly

Wait… What?!” Diona asked in shock

“You see, Draff brought us hunting in the area nearby and thanks to him the hunt went really well and we managed to catch lots of game and after the hunt, we stopped to rest for a bit before we’d head back to Springvale so we started a bonfire, got some barbeque going and well… Had a little to drink” Allan explained only to see Diona glaring suspiciously “Honest! We only drank a little, you know, just to celebrate the hunt” Allan explained

“What happened afterwards?” Twilight asked

“Well, after a few drinks, Draff started saying that he wanted to go get something from a Hilichurl tribe in the depths of Dadaupa Gorge and he refused to let any of us accompany him, instead, he kept saying that he’s a descendant of the Kätzlein Bloodline and that he could come and go as he pleases in a place like this and before we could say anything he rushed out by himself, there’s no way we could stop him, I had a hunter who’s quick on his feet run back to Springvale to find help and sent a few veteran hunters into the gorge to look for Draff but…” Allan started worriedly

Diona then groaned in disbelief

“That stupid old man! And it’s all because he had something to drink, right?!” Diona asked angrily

Rainbow then sighed in disbelief

“What’s with everyone the last few, I believe, months?! Disappearing without knowing the concerns of others?!” Rainbow asked in disbelief

“Tell me about it” Twilight agreed

“I don’t know how many times I’ve told him not to drink! He just won’t listen!” Diona said angrily before sighing in disbelief “I’ll go look for him and see what kind of trouble he’s got himself into this time!” Diona said

“No, wait! It’s too dangerous for you to go alone Diona, let’s wait for more help to arrive and go find him together” Allan suggested

“I’m also of the Kätzlein bloodline and I’m much better on my feet than he is and most importantly I don’t drink so I won’t be making any of the mistakes that he would” Diona reminded

Yeah so don’t worry, we’ll go with her” Lumine explained

Allan then realized something as he turned to Lumine, Twilight and Rainbow

“You’re… Oh! You’re the Honorary Knights and Guard of Favonius!” Allan realize

“That’s us!” Rainbow said while giving a proud smirk

“There should be nothing to worry about with you by her side so I’ll leave you three to it” Allan said in relief

“You’re coming with me to Dadaupa Gorge? There’ll be a lot of monsters in there so I wouldn’t want to stir them up all at once” Diona reminded

“Hey, haven’t you heard of us?! We’re the most awesome heroes in Teyvat, we can beat any creature big and small!” Rainbow reminded

True but I was planning on sneaking past the monsters to find my stupid father… What was your plan?” Diona asked

“Well, I’d defeat all the enemies head on!” Rainbow answered

“I doubt that’s a good idea but fine, only because you’re a Guard of course” Twilight reminded

“So you’re suggesting we take them all head on, huh?” Diona asked before shrugging it off “Well, you are the Guard and Honorary Knights of Favonius after all…” Diona said before she began thinking “Hmm… That would work too I suppose, you three can distract the monsters while I sneak around them” Diona suggested

“I’ll keep watch” Rainbow said

“Very well, let’s head deeper into Dadaupa Gorge, I don’t know where my foolish father is but we can start our search there and uh, if the monsters are too strong then just run away if you can, there are lots of places to hide around here… Trust me” Diona reminded

Twilight then gave everyone a map of the entirety of Dadaupa Gorge

“Don’t ask why or when but I’ve marked the approximate location of the edges of Dadaupa Gorge on your maps just in case one of us gets lost” Twilight explained

The group then carefully began to walk across Dadaupa Gorge and every time they noticed an Hilichurl looking away either Twilight shot them or Lumine and Rainbow slashed them with their sword or spear and after a while they noticed a guy sitting on the ground with a drunk look

“Over there!” Twilight called out

The group then rushed towards him as they saw the guy thinking

“What was that? Some kind of… Soup?” The guy started before hiccuping a bit “Or herbs?” The guy thought out loud in confusion

Diona who heard that then groaned in disbelief

“Ugh, just as I expected… He’s completely drunk!” Diona said in disbelief

The guy then gasped in shock and relief

“Oh! Is that you Diona? My beloved daughter… Hmm? What’re you… Doing here?” The guy asked in confusion before he realized something “Oh! Right! You must be here for th-that soup… Or herbs… Or what was it again?” The guy asked with a slight drunken tone

“I think he’s too drunk to speak properly” Rainbow whispered to Twilight

“Definitely” Twilight whispered back

“Well, I found it! …Just for you! It’s all here in my flask” The guy said before chuckling a bit “Look, it’s full of soup or… Whatever this stuff is!” The guy said excitedly

Diona then grunted in anger and disbelief

“C’mon Daddy, pull yourself together… How much did you have to drink?” Diona asked angrily

“N-Not much really… Just the usual amount…” The guy said before chuckling a bit before pulling out his flask “Here! Take my flask with the herbal soup stuff that you were looking for, I’m going to continue the hunt…” The guy said before hiccuping

“If I were on duty I would’ve arrested you by now” Rainbow said angrily

“I don’t know what the rules in Mondstadt are but yeah! You literally scared everyone, even your friends!” Twilight said angrily

“Exactly!” Lumine agreed angrily

“Wait, I remember something, you know, I saw this huge… I mean HUGE Hilihog next to the tribe’s camp” The guy explained

“What’s a Hilihog?” Twilight asked

The guy then chuckled a bit

“You don’t know a Hilihog? It’s like a forest boar… I saw it next to the Hilichurl—” The guy started before hiccuping again “tribe camp! It’s called a hi-li-hog! Boy, you sure don’t know anything about hunting…” The guy said before laughing a bit “And not only were there hilihogs, there were hiliHOUNDS too! Ugh, don’t you know anything?” The guy asked before hiccuping again “Well… If we can hunt that Hilihog it’d mean a lot of food for a long time” The guy reminded

“Really?! That’d be gross!” Rainbow said

“Only for ponies, remember?” Twilight asked

“Oh right, yeah” Rainbow answered

Diona then groaned in disbelief

“Looks like he’s enjoyed himself today…” Diona said in disbelief

“Well, to be fair, I was looking forward to seeing some Hilihogs and Hilihounds…” Lumine explained

“Hey, keep it together! You’re not the one that’s drunk!” Diona reminded angrily

“Right, sorry” Lumine realized

Diona then turned to the guy who was her dad with an irritated groan

“Silly old man… I doubt he can even walk straight in this state” Diona said in disbelief before she began thinking “If we're gonna get him out of here we need to sober him up, good thing I know just what to make for him” Diona explained

“Really? Tell us” Twilight suggested

“But given how much he usually drinks I’ll need ingredients that’ll pack a real punch” Diona suggested before thinking “Perhaps the herbal soup made by the Samachurls will come in handy…” Diona thought out loud

“Lumine, I see you’re thinking, is there something you had in mind that we need to know, if so, you know you can tell us, right?” Twilight asked

“Yeah, well, um…” Lumine thought out loud “Should I straight up say it or should I lie? Let me think about it” Lumine thought out loud

Tell a Lie

Tell the Truth

Tell a Lie

“I was thinking and well, I can deal with a few monsters so I’ll bring some of that herbal soup back” Lumine explained

“Huh? You think what Draff has is a fake?” Twilight asked in confusion

“What are you talking about? I’ve got some right here…” Draff reminded before hiccuping “I’m sure of it!” Draff promised

“Well, he’s not sobering up anytime soon, I’ll stay here and keep an eye on the drunk old fart” Diona said

“I’ll stay too!” Rainbow agreed

“Yes, good luck you two!” Diona said

Twilight and Lumine then walked off as Draff turned to them “Take it… The herbal soup is in my flask, I still have that Hilihog to catch! Or wait, was it a Hilihound…?” Draff asked in confusion before hiccuping “Well, it don’t matter…” Draff said

Twilight and Lumine then walked off ignoring Draff as Twilight turned to Lumine

“Hey Lumine, are you alright, you seem worried” Twilight reminded

“Yeah, I’m fine, it’s just, I don’t know if that was the herbal soup, we’ve seen it before when we went on a walk a long time ago, remember?” Lumine asked

“Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?” Twilight asked

“Well, I knew it smelled and I wanted to see if the herbal soup smelled as bad as the one in the flask just to be safe” Lumine explained

“So, you just wanted to protect the rest of us in case things went south?” Twilight asked

“Yes, I did” Lumine answered

“Wow! Great job but next time, please tell me your plan” Twilight said

“Of course” Lumine said

Soon the duo arrived at one of the cans above the fire as they checked it along with the smell only for Lumine to get dizzy

“Whoa! Stay back!” Twilight called out

Lumine then walked back as Twilight helped her to the ground

“You okay?” Twilight asked

“Yeah I’m fine” Lumine answered

“Guess these stuff are not for the faint of heart” Twilight thought out loud

“So what?” Lumine asked

“We’ll keep it far from us but we will go and show Diona what we found” Twilight said

“Right” Lumine said

“Get on me and I’ll bring us back” Twilight said

Lumine then went on Twilight’s back as Twilight grabbed the bowl before she teleported it away before she dragged Lumine over to Diona, Rainbow and Draff

“Oh you’re back, did you two get the herbal soup?” Diona asked

“Yep, we’ve got it right here” Twilight answered

Twilight then teleported in the bowl which was full of herbal soup

“Exactly but can you really use this to make him sober up?” Lumine asked

“Of course, I’ll be using some other ingredients that counter intoxication as well, the herbal soup was meant to energize Hilichurls so I’m pretty sure it’ll work on my old man too” Diona explained before thinking “Hmm… However, I’m not going to mix the concoction myself otherwise even that will turn out delicious” Diona thought out loud

“Well then, allow me to mix this up” Rainbow said

“Very well but the concoction needs to be as potent as possible…” Diona explained before she had an idea “May I guide you while you mix up the concoction?” Diona asked

“Of course, I do not know how it works so it’s fine” Rainbow explained

“It’s quite simple, just be sure to mix the ingredients evenly, the stronger it is, the more effective it will be” Diona explained

“Alright, let me try!” Rainbow said

“Alright, let’s start mixing so we can sober him up” Diona suggested

Rainbow and Diona then began mixing up the concoction while Twilight, Lumine and Draff watched and after a while it was complete

“And… Done!” Rainbow explained

Diona then coughed in disgust

“Did you seriously use up all of the herbal soup?” Diona asked

“Yeah, you didn’t explain how evenly it must be so I dropped everything in it we had to use, why? Is it that bad?” Rainbow asked

“It’s better than the time you made the worst cake ever” Twilight answered

“What? I did?!” Rainbow asked in shock

“Yeah, you did, be lucky you didn’t eat it or you’d be dead by now!” Twilight explained

Okay, this should be…” Diona started before coughing a bit “This should be enough… Just keep it away from me! Off, my nose can’t take it!” Diona said

Rainbow then chuckled nervously

“Right, right, sorry” Rainbow apologized

“What a horrible smell…” Twilight thought

“Is this really drinkable…?” Lumine thought

Diona then chuckled mischievously

“Bring it to my foolish father and have him drink it” Diona suggested before she had a better idea “You know, on second thought… Just a good whiff should do the job!” Diona said

“Now, where’s that” Draff started before hiccuping “Hilihound…? C’mon now… Here Hili-Hili-Hili…” Draff started before hiccuping and laughing

“Hey Draff, wanna smell something beautiful?!” Rainbow asked

Draff then turned to Rainbow with a smile

“What is it? A drink huh?” Draff started before chuckling a bit “Is it alcohol?! Perfect… If I just” Draff started before hiccuping “Have a little more that Hilihog won’t ever outrun me…” Draff said before chuckling again

“Nope, that won’t do, just smell it!” Rainbow ordered

“Okay, okay” Draff said nervously before smelling the bowl Rainbow had in her hooves but after a while he flinched and backed off while grunting “What… Is that…?” Draff asked in disgust

Just then Draff began barfing in disgust as Rainbow backed off right on time

“Hey, you alright?” Rainbow asked worriedly

But during the backing off Rainbow had dropped the bowl as the group could only look in disgust as Draff continued to barf while Twilight and Lumine rubbed his back to calm him down

“Way to go girls, you’ve made him sick!” Twilight said angrily

“Whoops! Sorry guys, guess I’m not that great at creations!” Rainbow apologized

Draff then groaned in disgust

“What… What is that?! Please just, just get it away from me! My head is spinning…” Draff reminded

“So? Are you sober now?” Diona asked

Draff who heard that voice then turned to Diona

“Diona? Wh-What are you doing here? Huh…? Actually, what am I doing here?” Draff asked before groaning in pain “I can’t remember a thing and that smell is so horrible that I can’t even think straight!” Draff reminded

“You drank too much and ran here by yourself” Diona said angrily before taking a sigh in relief “But now that you’ve sobered up, let’s get back to the entrance of the valley, Allan’s waiting for us there” Diona reminded as Rainbow went to pick up what remained of the concoction “Uhhh… Just leave that concoction here… I don’t ever want to smell it again” Diona said before sighing in relief and turning around “Besides, I doubt it can be used to make any drinks… But it does prove that the Samachurls’ herbal soup is potentially the best ingredient for making the worst possible drink!” Diona explained

“For once I agree with that” Twilight said

Meanwhile Draff was thinking for a moment

“Allan…” Draff thought before he realized something “Oh! I remember now, I was here to hunt” Draff realized before he realized something more weirder “Wait, th-that can’t be right, there’s no game to hunt here…” Draff thought out loud in confusion

“You were on the hunt for Hilihounds and Hilihogs” Diona reminded

“Uh? What’s that? A Hili-what now?” Draff asked in confusion

“You literally were the one just talking about them… Again! You seemed pretty proud about it too like you were on an epic hunt or something” Diona reminded

“Really…? I must have had too much to drink again… I don’t remember any of that” Draff reminded before sighing in disbelief

Diona then scoffed in disbelief

“Typical you…” Diona said in anger before she began walking “Alright, let’s hurry back and find Allan” Diona suggested

“Diona, you’re not… Angry, are you?” Draff asked worriedly

The group worried for her then began walking after Diona towards Allan

“Nope” Diona answered in irritation

Draff then sighed in disbelief and defeat

“I don’t remember a thing… I promise that I won’t drink that much next time” Draff promised

“Do you remember what happened Draff?” Twilight asked

“ Yeah, All I remember is that I was out on a hunt with Allan and the others before we stopped somewhere nearby and started barbecuing, I drank a little to celebrate all the game we caught… And the next thing I know Rainbow is making me smell that… Thing…” Draff reminded in disgust

“And?” Diona asked

“And… That’s it, I don’t remember anything else, was there something important?” Draff asked, making Diona grunt in anger and disbelief “Er- I- Oh Diona, how about you give daddy a little hint? C’mon now!” Draff pleaded

“Nope! Forget it! Let’s just go back and find Allan” Diona ordered

The five then continued walking and soon enough the group found Allan looking at them in relief

“It’s Diona, Rainbow and the Honorary Knights and you’ve all brought Draff back!” Allan called out in relief before he noticed Draff looked sick “What happened to you Draff? You look awful” Allan reminded

“That could’ve been my fault, sorry” Rainbow apologized

“In short, I was… Sobered up by her, don’t worry, I’m fine now, I just need to go back and get some rest” Draff explained before turning to Allan dizzily “Allan, if you could… Gimme a hand…” Draff suggested

“Oh of course!” Allan said as he allowed Draff to put an arm over his shoulder before he turned to the group “Girls… Thank you for all your help…” Allan thanked

“No worries, if you need anything, just let us ace detectives know” Rainbow suggested

“Good, anyways, I will be taking Draff back to Springvale now as he looks like he’s going to have to rest for quite some time” Allan explained

“Alright, just let us know if you need anything else” Twilight suggested

Diona then turned to Lumine with a proud look

“See… This is what happens when you drink, just remember that, no drinking!” Diona ordered

“Don’t worry, I’m not of age yet… Goddamnit!” Lumine called out in shock and disbelief

After he called that out the group turned to her in shock

“Was that what I think it was?” Rainbow asked in shock

“Oops, my bad girls” Lumine apologized

“Still, who know what’ll happen in the future, just remember, drinking causes nothin’ but trouble, alcohol is poison, it makes people foolish and makes them do terrible things, it somehow brings out the worst side of the best people and that includes incredible hunters like my daddy, after drinking he’s worse than a Hilidog or Hilihound or whatever he calls those things” Diona reminded

“We’ll keep that in mind” Twilight said

“Absolutely not! I will keep drinking and you can’t make me say it otherwise!” Rainbow said

“But it’s thanks to you we used up all of the herbal soup they managed to get just to sober him up” Diona reminded

“Yeah and I still regret that” Rainbow agreed

“But, no use cryin’ over spilt milk, I’ll just have to make you girls a drink some other time” Diona said

“Alright, we’ll look forward to it” Twilight said

“Very well then, let’s head back, it’s getting late” Diona said

The group then walked back leaving whatever just happened behind as they prepared for the next day when Paimon comes back from her mission

“Oh and one more thing girls, do not tell Paimon, she may get mad at Diona” Twilight said when they left

The group then nodded in agreement when they heard that

[You got the Secret Ending! Wanna try again? Or do you wanna pick a different choice, select any down below]

The Base

Pick a different choice

Team up with Twilight

“To be fair Diona, you might actually make some more money that way” Lumine said

“You agree as well?” Diona said before grunting in disbelief “Fine! Once I get back I’ll suggest getting a few more cats and let them attract all the customers, my specialty drinks aren’t what the customers are after anyway” Diona said in disbelief before turning to the two cats on Twilight and Rainbow while one cat was still next to her “Roger, Nelson and Paisley… Yep, we’ve found them all, let’s hurry and bring them back otherwise they won’t be able to work when then tavern opens tomorrow” Diona reminded

“Good idea” Twilight said

The duo then began walking towards the Cat’s Tail as Rainbow was still looking in disgust and disbelief while her other friends continued to play with the cats

“Oh, it looks like the kitties and ponies are back as well as our customer” Margaret said in relief

“Hey! I’m not one of the cats or ponies!” Diona reminded angrily

“But you do fit the theme of the tavern nicely” Lumine reminded

“Of course, in fact, Diona is our best bartender” Margaret explained

Diona then scoffed in disbelief

“Please don’t misunderstand my work as a bartender here, it’s actually the first step in my plan of bringing destruction to Mondstadt’s alcohol industry” Diona reminded angrily

“But apparently it doesn’t work if everybody likes your alcohol, right?” Lumine asked

“Yeah! You’ve seen the drunkards stumbling around the city right?” Diona asked

“Some times, we were sometimes even tasked to bring them home if neither of the Knights could drag them out of their seats” Twilight explained

“Yeah but that’s mostly because these guys literally tied themselves to the alcohol they’re drinking before falling asleep or causing some bar fights, there’s been a few bars that experienced it once in a while” Rainbow explained

“Yeah, no matter how well-dressed or honest of a person they actually are, once they start drinking they become terrible people, nothing good comes of alcohol, it makes people foolish, lazy and ugly, that’s why I plan on making the most disgusting drink there ever was, everyone will realize how terrible alcohol really is!” Diona reminded angrily

“Are you bucking serious?! Alcohol is great, especially apple cider!” Rainbow explained

“Oh great, another person who loves alcohol” Diona said in disbelief before shaking it off” Don’t worry Rainbow, soon Mondstadt will finally be rid of alcohol and freed from its snarling teeth” Diona said with a mischievous grin

“Quite the grand plan you have there…” Lumine said in awe

“Of course and that’s why I became a bartender in the first place, I must understand anything and everything there is to know about alcohol, that is the first step in my plan” Diona explained

“But… Everyone seems to really like the drinks you make…” Lumine reminded

“Yeah, what’s the point in continuing if you’re going to fail?” Rainbow asked

“I-I’m still experimenting! It’s more difficult than you think to make the most disgusting drink the city has ever tasted!” Diona said while looking away in embarrassment and disbelief before looking back towards the group with a smile “Anyway, I’ll find a way to make my diabolical cocktail and keep everyone away from alcohol although I haven’t discovered how yet but I will!” Diona said before making an grunt in disbelief

“That sounds mean, even for a bartender like Margaret” Rainbow said

Diona then glared at Rainbow for a moment while Twilight got a worried look

“I hope it isn’t too late by then to bring Rainbow’s memories back” Twilight thought worriedly

“Anyway, didn’t you two come all this way just to see the cats because now that all three of them are back in the tavern you can go inside and play with them” Diona suggested

“Actually, I think Jean needed me for a mission, I’ll see you all later!” Rainbow said

Rainbow then zipped off as Twilight and Lumine could only roll their eyes in disbelief along with a small chuckle

“As for you girls, in return for all your help I’ll make a special drink just for you two… Non-alcoholic of course” Diona said

“Is it too late to get Rainbow now?” Twilight whispered to Lumine

After she said that Lumine nodded as the duo followed Diona inside and began playing with the cats, whether they petted them or just threw one of the dolls which they got before running back to our heroes and all the two could do was just smile

The Flavoring

Author's Note

The following choice you picked has actions done by professionals, do not try anything what you see here at home or else you'll get seriously messed up

The Flavoring

“I have to go with Twilight’s choice, the flavoring matters more than the base” Lumine explained

“That’s fine with me” Rainbow said

“Thanks for picking the flavoring, I’ll help you decide which ones to use if you have no idea” Twilight said

“I accept” Lumine said

The trio then went back to Diona

“And… Have you girls decided?” Diona asked

“Yes, we’d like the flavoring to be more unique…” Lumine answered

“Hmm, a drink with special flavoring huh? Well, that’ll be easy enough, I was planning on looking for some more flavorings anyway” Diona said before pulling out a checklist and checking it over “Hm, I’ve got a list of things we can search for” Diona explained before she put the checklist away “Hmm… Let’s go visit Blanche first, I placed an order for some flavoring ingredients that should be ready by now” Diona explained

The group then walked towards Blanche’s shop and once they arrived Blanche turned to them happily

“Welcome, is there anything you girls need?” Blanche asked

“Hello Blanche, I came to pick up my order!” Diona explained

“Diona!” Blanche said in shock before she rushed towards a different table and checked if her name’s on the list “Let me see…” Blanche thought before she found it “Yes… Fifteen Lizard Tails, seven vials of Butterfly Dust…” Blanche read before she searched for the stuff and when she found them she brought them over to the group “Everything other than the bottle of Frog Mucus is ready” Blanche explained

“No rush on that, I’ll take whatever’s ready, someone from the tavern will come to settle the bill later” Diona said

“Alright, thank you for your business” Blanche thanked

“Just wondering Diona but what are these…?” Lumine asked while Diona picked the stuff that was in the bag

“Yeah, these look more like alchemy ingredients…” Twilight agreed

“Well… Hehe, yeah, I did ask Timaeus before about what ingredients they use to improve the taste of alchemic medicine…” Diona explained

“Really? Which ingredients did he mention?” Twilight asked

“Well… He mentioned things like Lizard Tails and Crystal Cores but I think Crystal Cores overlap too much with the texture of ice cubes so I chose not to use them but I have, however, always wanted to try Frog Mucus, according to Timaeus, it can make the texture of a drink as thick as mud!” Diona said before laughing with a purr

“I have many questions on why Diona’s parents didn’t teach her on messing with things, especially with stuff this gross” Twilight whispered

“Same here/I agree” Rainbow and Lumine whispered back in agreement

“Now all we have left to get is some Fish Scales and Slime Condensate so let’s search for those in the wild and once we have everything I can make you that drink” Diona said

The group then began walking out of Mondstadt and across the many paths of the wild before they arrived at their destination

“Ahh, we made it! Whether it’s the meat, skin or tails the fish here have great texture and quality” Diona explained

Diona then began foaming at the mouth of tastiness as she turned at the sea before Rainbow waved her hoof in front of her face

“You there Diona?” Rainbow asked

Diona then shook her head

“Oh right, sorry” Diona apologized before turning to her customers “They also have a strong but interesting grass like scent to the meat and scales here too, most people can’t handle it but to the foodies that have unique tastes, it’s amazing” Diona explained excitedly

“You sure know a lot about fish” Lumine said said in happiness and disbelief

“What? No! No, I just overheard stuff from a bunch of old drunks while I was making drinks” Diona said before she noticed the trio looking at her with raised eyebrows “Ugh please, it’s not like I went out of my way to learn about fish or anything!” Diona said nervously before shaking her head “Just go there and catch us a few fresh fish, I have way too many ingredients here and it’d be a hassle for me” Diona explained

“Alright, allow me!” Twilight said

Twilight then jumped into the water while turning herself into a sea pony with her magic as she caught a few fishes before she went back out while transforming into her normal form again

“Wow! How’d you do that?!” Diona asked

“A spell I learned from back home” Twilight answered

“She showed me and Paimon that back when we were living in the wild” Twilight explained

“Wow! I never knew that before! Could you do that to me too?!” Rainbow asked

“We’ll see Rainbow, we’ll see” Twilight said

“Oh! Sweet!” Rainbow said

“We’re getting off topic though” Diona reminded before turning to Twilight “Did you catch any fresh fish?” Diona asked

“Yes I did” Twilight answered while moving them into Diona’s hands with her magic

“Wow, you swim really well and you’re almost as good at catching fish as the cats I look after” Diona applauded

“Thanks!” Twilight said with a slight blush

“No worries” Diona said before giving Lumine the fish’s scales “Now if you could Lumine, you need to scrape off the scales carefully and make sure you also collect the mucus on the fish…?” Diona asked

“Twilight mostly did it but I’ll try” Lumine said

Diona then turned to Twilight who looked a bit embarrassed at her as Diona had terrible thoughts and once the thoughts were gone she turned back to Lumine who did what was asked of her carefully

“Is it working?” Rainbow asked

“Yeah but it’s a little tough” Lumine explained

Just then Diona smelled something making her gasp in awe

“Whoa, the smell of fish… Along with that unique grassy smell… It’s… So strong!” Diona called out in awe before shaking it off “But that’s okay, it’s the potent aroma we need!” Diona explained

After she said Lumine finished as she gave the stuff back to Diona

“I think I really need to wash my hands” Lumine said

“Heh, it’s too much for you huh?” Diona asked before she gave her a cold yet comforting “I guess I can understand, you’re not professional bartenders after all so your tolerance for special ingredients is not like mine” Diona said

“Yeah, sorry” Lumine apologized

“No problem” Diona said before looking down at the back as she noticed the stuff the group had gotten “That’ll just about do it, soaking the scales in the mucus collected from the fish will help preserve them for now” Diona said in relief before she turned to her customers “Next, we need to get some Slime Condensate but don’t worry, I know a place with tons of slime, follow me” Diona suggested

Afterwards Lumine washed her hands by the water and once she was done she joined her group who began walking towards another place in the forest where they were then forced to hide thanks to Diona as the group noticed a few slimes together

“Look, the slimes we’re looking for are just ahead” Diona explained

“Then let’s go and get those slimes” Rainbow suggested

“Huh but if I go after those slimes I might ruin all the ingredients I have with me and that would be bad…” Diona said worriedly

“You sure?” Twilight asked

“Yeah so can one of you defeat those slimes and bring me the Slime Condensate?” Diona asked

“Of course, allow me, I may not have fought slimes but I know just how to beat them!” Rainbow said

Rainbow then rushed towards the slimes who heard her galloping

“Wait Rainbow get back!” Diona called out

But it was too late as the slimes had already seen her as they hopped over to her

“Hey you! Come and get a taste of this!” Rainbow said

Rainbow then zipped to the slimes and continued to poke them as many slimes then got worried before letting out a cold breeze as they flew all around before dropping back to the ground unconscious as Rainbow went to stab them once more just to make sure they were dead before she pulled out some slimy orbs and approached the group

“What did you all think of that?” Rainbow asked

“I have one word, never do that again” Twilight said

“Fine but at least they’re gone now and you’ve got the Slime Condensates so that problem’s solved” Rainbow reminded

“Still, that was quick and precise, only people who don’t drink can fight like that!” Diona said

“Exactly! …Hey!” Rainbow said

Twilight and Lumine then chuckled a bit while Diona glared at her

“I-I mean, thank you” Rainbow thanked nervously

“Still, I think Slime Condensate will intensify the taste and texture of the drink hehehe…” Diona explained before thinking “Hmm… You two might be a little unfamiliar but aside from the taste of the alcohol, those old drunkards are also very keen on the texture of the drink, they’ve even invented a number of phrases to describe it for example ‘sticky like honey’ or ‘refreshing as the springs’” Diona explained before fake barfing in disgust

“Yep, and they share it with all the veteran drunkards such as me” Rainbow explained

“By a technicality you’re wrong, you’re not a veteran” Twilight reminded

“Huh, really?” Rainbow asked

“Yeah, it’s a long story” Twilight answered

“Alright then” Rainbow said

“Anyways, they use beautiful ways of describing their drinks but drinking is drinking and it doesn’t matter how you make it sound alcohol is still a terrible thing” Diona reminded

“No it’s not!” Rainbow reminded angrily

“You just have to see what my dad’s always doing! Maybe that way you can figure out his behavior” Diona said angrily

“That doesn’t mean it’s bad!” Rainbow reminded

“You know, when you have the time I’ll have you meet up with my dad, that way you can see how bad it is” Diona said angrily

“Bet!” Rainbow dared

Diona then grunted in disbelief

“Nevermind, the reason why I wanted to use Slime Condensate is because I wanted a dense, sticky consistency and once I put this into a drink I’m sure it’ll preserve it’s form and start absorbing the alcohol quickly” Diona explained

“That sounds cool… hopefully…” Twilight said nervously

Diona then took a glance at Rainbow if she was still mad only to see her giving a brave look making her sigh in disbelief

“Those old boozers wanted to try something different huh?” Diona asked which caused Rainbow to nod, making her chuckle a bit “Well, they can try this sticky, gooey Drunken Slime!” Diona said

“Heh, trying to make my tastebuds worse, we’ll see about that” Rainbow said with a brave look

“Why do you want to use this to make drinks?” Lumine asked getting more suspicious of Diona

“So I can make the worst drink conceivable and show everyone the true nature of alcohol” Diona reminded

“That’s not the way to do it” Twilight reminded

“Yes it is!” Diona argued back angrily

“I don’t think her parents learned her anything about poisoning” Lumine whispered

“I agree though apparently it isn’t working so this means I’ll have to investigate her more” Twilight whispered back

“I can hear you!” Diona called out

“Gh—!” Lumine and Twilight called out in shock

“You do know that in order to attract customers taverns use all kinds of strategies and schemes to make people believe that alcohol is not only good but a necessity, right?!” Diona asked angrily

“Yeah, that is true but—” Twilight started

“They use special ingredients, come up with fancy names and promote limited-time drinks for holidays and events, they come up with all kinds of reasons to get people drinking and Dawn Winery is at the heart of it all, they have no boundaries when it comes to selling alcohol, their one and only goal is to make sure that people keep drinking and that their own pockets get filled with Mora” Diona reminded angrily

“They’re not that greedy and besides, they do other stuff too besides selling alcohol” Twilight reminded

“Twilight’s right, sure it may look suspicious but believe me, not everyone’s like that, especially my brother” Lumine explained

“But it’s not only a crime! It’s also a scam! No good can come from alcohol!” Diona reminded

“Well, that’s only if you drink everything in one go” Twilight said

“Yeah, I may like apple cider but I drink it very carefully” Rainbow explained

“And that’s why it’s my mission to make the worst drink ever and to wake people up and free Mondstadt from the jaws of alcoholism” Diona said in disbelief

“Don’t you believe me?!” Rainbow asked

“Of course not, remember that one time you broke into my house and went to bed with my father, my mom broke up after she saw that!” Diona reminded angrily

“Rainbow!” Lumine and Twilight called out angrily

“Hehe, maybe I did drink too fast that one time” Rainbow explained before chuckling nervously

Diona then sighed in disbelief

“And that is why I’m always searching for new ingredients and experimenting with them” Diona said in disbelief before grunting in worry “However… Up until now I haven’t been able to make a single bad drink, no matter what ingredients I use! All the drinks I mix only make those deadbeat drunks all the happier!” Diona said in sadness and disbelief before sighing in defeat “I’ve already lost track of how many kinds of ingredients I’ve tried, I’ve even used ingredients way more unusual than this and have yet to ever succeed” Diona said in disbelief before sighing in defeat “I really don’t know what I need to do to make the most horrendous drink in the world!” Diona said sadly before meowing a bit

“Quit!” Rainbow suggested

“What?! No way! I will never quit!” Diona reminded angrily

“How about trying a different way of making the drinks?” Lumine asked

“A different way?” Diona asked

“Lumine, what are you suggesting?!” Twilight asked in shock and worry

“Trust me, whatever I say will not work” Lumine whispered

“What are you trying to say? That my methods aren’t professional enough? Believe me, I’ve done my research! I’ve studied how to handle a shaker, adjust the temperature of the glasses and even the subtle techniques of stirring…” Diona reminded angrily

“Then why don’t we start by looking at your mixing technique” Lumine suggested

“My mixing technique? You’re saying the reason I can’t make terrible-tasting drinks is because of my technique?” Diona asked

“I think it is” Lumine answered

After Lumine said that Diona began thinking

“Hmm… It’s true that I’ve never been professionally trained but I hear from the old drunkards that it’s very complicated, that every step must be precise and that even the slightest mistake is unacceptable… Or else…” Diona explained

“Or else the drink will taste bad?” Lumine asked

“That… That was right! Or else the drink will taste bad!” Diona answered happily while clapping as she realized something “I-I see, I’ve never thought of it this way before…” Diona said happily

“You just made it worse” Twilight said while facepalming

Diona then began thinking excitedly

“First, we need to find someone to ask about the techniques of mixing a great drink, then we use the same ingredients and purposely mess up every step of the process!” Diona suggested

“Let’s not do that” Twilight suggested

“Yes we will, I mean, I want to see how good she is and once we’ve seen how good she is we’ll quit investigating” Lumine suggested

“But, what if she poisons them or worse… Us?” Twilight asked

“It won’t happen, I’m sure of it” Lumine said

“So, are you girls with me?” Diona asked

“I speak for the three of us when I say yes!” Lumine answered

Afterwards Rainbow and Twilight gasped in shock

“I did say we were not gonna—” Twilight shushed

“Don’t listen to her, we will of course do our best to help you” Lumine said

“Haha yeah! This might finally work woohoo!” Diona cheered before she realized something “Wait a second, how did you come up with this idea? You girls don’t secretly drink do you?” Diona asked before hissing angrily

“Well, I don’t think anyone in this world would ever sell me alcohol…” Lumine reminded

“That’s a good thing, it’d be best to never have a single drop” Diona suggested before she began thinking “First I need to find a professional bartender, one that I could consult about the ways of mixing a drink professionally” Diona thought out loud

“Alright but where do we find them?” Rainbow asked

“Yeah, where could I find someone?” Diona said before grunting “Does this mean I need to go to Angel’s Share? …Or Dawn Winery?” Diona asked worriedly

“Yeah, you’ll have to” Lumine answered worriedly

“Nope, nope, uh-uh! Never! I refuse to ever set a paw in those places…” Diona said before she noticed Rainbow moving her hoof to ask something making her wiggle her finger in front of Rainbow’s face “Don’t even ask, I have my own reasons” Diona reminded before she turned around “Let’s head back first, we’ve collected plenty of ingredients and as for the mixing technique… I’ll figure out another way” Diona suggested

Meanwhile somebody who heard them talking as he walked towards them

“Diona? And these are… The Guard and Honorary Knights” The guy called out in shock before sighing in relief “Oh what a coincidence running into you three here, are you three out collecting ingredients?” The guy asked

The group who heard him then turned around

“Of course, what’s that gotta do with you?” Rainbow asked

“Nothing, I was just wondering what Diona will plan on whipping up this time since it’s always a surprise to see what she makes” The guy explained

“Guess you are a fan of hers, see Diona, you should never do that, especially with fans like him” Twilight said

Diona then scoffed

“Whatever” Diona said in disbelief

“I myself know a thing or two about mixing drinks but Elzer tells me that my drinks can’t even compare to Diona’s… They seem to lack that ‘special something’ so I’ve been looking for some inspiration but I’ve been stuck in a rut, I’m not sure whether it’s the traditional techniques I use or if I’m just too conservative with my ingredients” The guy explained in worry, sadness and confusion

“This is your opportunity to ask about mixing techniques!” Lumine whispered to Diona

“You mean I should ask him for some professional pointers?” Diona whispered back before thinking and eventually sighing in relief and disbelief “Alright, perhaps he’ll do” Diona said

Lumine then turned to the guy

“We’d like to ask you about your techniques for mixing drinks” Lumine explained

“Yeah, umm… You’re trying to find new mixing inspiration… And I’m trying some new recipes out so maybe we can… Exchange some ideas?” Diona asked

“Oh, why, I’d be honored! No problem at all!” The guy answered

“However, for the ingredients we must use the ones I’ve just collected, I have Lizard Tails, Butterfly Dust, Fish Scales and Slime Condensate” Diona explained

“Hmm… We need to use these materials huh? Well I guess it’s time for me to expand my repertoire as well…” The guy thought out loud before chuckling a bit and turning to the group “Let’s go back to the winery, I have some basic mixing tools there” The guy said

“Y-You mean we have to go to Dawn Winery? Couldn’t we also go to Angel’s Share? I mean, they have a full range of mixing tools…” Diona reminded

“Hmm… Well, you are the bartender at the Cat’s Tail, right?” The guy asked

“Yeah she is” Twilight answered

“Well, given that the Cat’s Tail and Angel’s Share are competitors it would be rather inappropriate if you were to mix drinks there, that would probably cause quite a bit of trouble for Margaret as well and besides, there are many loyal patrons at Angel’s Share so with your reputation it’d cause quite a commotion if you were to be seen mixing drinks there so in any case I wouldn’t recommend going to Angel’s Share and besides, the winery is close by so there’s no need for us to go so far” The guy reminded

“Is it just me or was that a rehearsed speech?” Twilight and Lumine thought at the same time

“Speaking of the winery, won’t that guy Elzer be there?” Diona asked

“Elzer? Sure, he’ll be there but he’s been busy taking care of guild matters lately, why do you ask?” The guy asked

Diona then scoffed in relief

“Just as long as he’s not around it’s fine and besides our little exchange here is between just the two of us so it’d be best if others don’t get involved” Diona suggested before she turned to the three next to her “Well, except for the travelers and Rainbow here, we’ve been out collecting ingredients together so they’re kinda like… My assistants, they’ll be allowed to participate” Diona explained

The guy then chuckled nervously

“Fine by me, shall we get going? The winery isn’t far so we’ll be there in no time” The guy said

“Of course, let’s go girls!” Rainbow said

Rainbow then walked off with Diona and the guy as Lumine wanted to walk too before she felt something hit her as she turned around only to notice Twilight had used her magic to throw an apple at her

“What was that for?!” Lumine asked

“To let you know that we’ll talk about this later” Twilight answered angrily

Twilight then walked off as Lumine could only look at her in shock

“Wha— bu—” Lumine started

“You coming or what?” Twilight called out angrily

“Yes Twilight” Lumine answered worriedly

Lumine then walked after Twilight as the duo went on a short and quick walk towards the Dawn Winery and once they arrived Rainbow, Diona and the guy turned to them

“Oh, you’re both here” The guy said in relief before turning to Diona and Rainbow “Look, I’ve already prepared all the tools we need, sure they’re a little… Basic but they should do just fine, I’ve also prepared a top-shelf bottle of Dandelion Wine to use as a drink base” The guy explained

“OOH!” Rainbow and Lumine called out

Twilight meanwhile sighed in disbelief before turning to Diona

“They are getting too attached, aren’t they?” Twilight asked disbelief

“Yep, they definitely are” Diona answered in disbelief

The guy then turned to Diona and Twilight

“Hey Diona, I’ve also heard that you don’t like to see people drink too much, am I right?” The guy asked

“Of course I don’t” Diona answered

“Well, today, we’ll strictly just exchange techniques so there will be no talk of drinking and even if we try the drinks, we’ll just only have a little taste, how’s that sound?” The guy asked

“Fine I suppose and these tools will suffice” Diona answered in disbelief and worry

“Oh and Twilight, since you’re so worried about the poisoning I’ll have you be the medic in case things go wrong” The guy said

“What, how’d you know?!” Twilight asked in shock

“Just a hunch!” The guy answered with a smile

“I still have many questions but alright, I’ll do whatever it takes” Twilight said

“Just wondering, how did you prepare so many things in advance?” Lumine asked

The guy then chuckled a bit

“Well, we’ve always been hoping to invite Diona to our winery to instruct us on her techniques of mixing drinks and while the preparations have been made, we just never had the chance so how could I not be fully prepared now that she’s willing to come today!” The guy answered

“True” Lumine realized

“Oh and to keep things fair we’ll need an impartial judge…” The guy suggested

“Well, we have the Honorary Knights” Diona reminded

“She’s right, your honor!” Lumine asked

“This is not Twilight Sparkle: Ace Attorney you know” Twilight reminded

“Did you just— Never mind, I won’t question it” Lumine said

“Still, they don’t look—” The guy started

“Don’t you dare say it!” Rainbow ordered angrily

“No need Rainbow, I already said I won’t drink any alcohol so it’s fine” Lumine said

“But I don’t want t—” Rainbow started

The guy then chuckled a bit

“So honest and forthcoming, you are after all the Honorary Knight and Guard of the Knights of Favonius, what impressive discipline!” The guy said before he began thinking “Then who could we find to be the judge?” The guy asked

The doors were then heard opening as the group turned around only to see an older type of guy walking into the room

“Connor, there you are, I’ve been looking for you, what are you doing here?” The older guy asked in relief

“Elzer, your timing couldn’t be any more perfect, I’m about to have a little mixing competition with Diona here…” The guy explained

“What?! Really?! That’s great! Would it be alright if I stayed to observe?” The older guy asked

“Actually, we’re looking for a judge so would you be free to help us out?” The guy asked

The guy then chuckled in excitement

“Why, I’d be delighted! It’d be an honor to have an opportunity and a taste of Diona’s craft” The older guy asked

“What a… Coincidence” Lumine thought in shock

“These two have been planning this all along” Twilight thought in shock

“So, what’s that old booze sponge Elzer doing here? He doesn’t think that I’m here to collaborate with them does he?” Diona asked

“Collaborate with them? I doubt that’s happening right now” Lumine answered in confusion

“Don’t you know? Elzer used to always show up at the Cat’s Tail” Diona reminded

“Oh—!” Lumine realized

“Every time he came he’d always be sweet-talking me and trying to get me to work with the Dawn Winery and come up with some sort of new drink, he needs to know that will never happen, not until I figure out how to make the most terrible drink in the world” Diona reminded angrily

The guy then turned to Diona nervously

“Uh, so then… Shall we begin, Diona?” The guy asked

“Sure but like I said before, this is an exchange of techniques as bartenders, anyone not involved should stay away” Diona reminded

“What is that supposed to mean?” The older guy named Elzer asked in shock

The guy then turned to Elzer nervously

“Um Elzer… Why don’t you just take a break over there? We’ll bring over the drinks once they’re finished” The guy suggested

“Wait, but I—” Elzer started

“Elzer, just—” The guy started

“Their faces are gonna cramp up with all the facial cues they’re throwing each other” Lumine thought worriedly

“Ah… Right! I shouldn’t disturb the mixing process! I’ll uh…” Elzer started before pointing to a faraway table “Be over there, just let me know if you need me” Elzer suggested

Elzer then walked off as the guy turned to the heroes and Diona

“Alright, since I invited you girls here, I’ll begin” The guy suggested before he turned to the stuff Diona put on the table “Lizard Tail’s bitter nature will ruin the alcohol’s nature and taste so we should soak it in distilled spirits first to remove the bitterness and then add it to the Dandelion Wine later as flavoring…” The guy explained before turning to the Slime Condensate “Hmm… Slime Condensate in small amounts could improve the texture but not too much otherwise the alcohol might start to coagulate” The guy reminded before turning to the Fish Scales and Butterfly Dust in concern “The smell of these Fish Scales is way too strong, there’s no way it could go in a drink, also, is Butterfly Dust even edible?” The guy asked before sighing in disbelief “Oh well, let’s start mixing and see what we end up with…” The guy suggested

The guy then began making the beverage as the others checked on what he was doing and once he was done he turned to the group as Rainbow had brought Elzer back

“You said you needed me” Elzer reminded

“Yes, it’s done, Elzer, if you could please do the honors” The guy suggested

The guy then gave the beverage to Elzer who studied it carefully

“Ahem… The color and presentation… Hmm, it looks very interesting, let me have a try…” Elzer suggested before drinking a bit of it before moving his lips in delight “Mmm, upon an initial taste the impact of the distilled spirits mixed with the refreshing Dandelion Wine along with a hint of bitterness all work to accentuate the distinct flavor of the drink and this slightly thicker texture… Hmm, it really is a memorable drink” Elzer said in awe before turning to the guy “Yes, not bad Connor, looks like you’ve finally found the right inspiration to guide your mixing techniques” Elzer said in awe

“It’s all thanks to Diona, if she hadn’t asked for this little exchange of skills and provided all the ingredients then I’d probably still be confined to my old techniques and usual ingredients” The guy called Connor explained before getting worried “However, I wasn’t able to find a way to use the Butterfly Dust and Fish Scales, seems that my creativity is still quite limited…” Connor said worriedly

Elzer then chuckled a bit

“No worries, not everyone possesses Diona’s genius intuition and techniques, no need to be so hard on yourself” Elzer suggested

Diona then turned to Lumine

“So he actually made something good out of these ingredients… Do you remember all the techniques he used?” Diona asked

“I tried to remember as much as I could” Lumine answered

Twilight who felt a sudden force then turned to Diona and Lumine strictly but they didn’t notice

“The process wasn’t too complicated so next all we have to do is follow the same steps but mess them all up” Diona suggested

“Let’s not do that please” Lumine suggested

“Of course we will!” Diona ordered which made Lumine nervous “First, you can try making a drink using the same techniques” Diona suggested

“Why don’t you just make it?” Lumine asked

“Because observation and experimentation come first when a professional bartender is faced with a new mixing technique and as my assistant you must try your best to make a horrible, terrible tasting drink and meanwhile I’ll watch closely and see if there’s any room for improvement” Diona said

Elzer then turned to Diona and Lumine as Rainbow, Connor and Twilight did so too while Twilight pretended to smile

“So Diona’s going to be making the next drink for us, right?” Elzer asked

“I just can’t wait to see what she’ll be making!” Connor said in agreement

“Same here! Hope it’s delicious!” Rainbow agreed

“I hope so too” Twilight lied before whispering to the duo “If you mess this up we’ll have a long talk” Twilight whispered

“It’s like Twilight is staring into my soul” Lumine thought worriedly

“Sure but before I do, let’s allow my assistant to have a try, he’s also very interested in mixing drinks” Diona reminded

“Is he a bartender as well? Ooh, aren’t we lucky? We’re in for a treat” Elzer said excitedly

“Do I tell them or not?” Twilight thought before shrugging despite having a worried feeling “I won’t but if things go wrong I’ll do my best to fix it” Twilight thought worriedly

Elzer then went to prepare everything for Lumine to use

“Please this way, all the materials and tools are already prepared so you may start when you’re ready” Elzer suggested

Lumine then approached the table as Diona turned to her

“Shall we begin then?” Diona asked

“Yes we shall” Lumine answered

Lumine then began mixing up a new beverage as she began thinking on how to make it worse and soon enough she was done

“Are you done mixing the drink?” Diona asked

“Yes I am” Lumine answered

Diona then picked it up and to gave it to Connor and Elzer with the latter drinking a bit before they stopped

“I’m sorry but this drink is way too uh… Creative for me so I’m afraid I couldn’t stomach it” Connor apologized

“Uh, yes, this drink is, uhh… Very creative, Connor, I think you should taste it” Elzer suggested nervously

Diona then cheered excitedly while whispering

“Looks like it worked! All we have to do is mess up every step of a professional mixing method and we end up with an absolutely terrible drink” Diona cheered before chuckling a bit before she realized what she was doing “Ahem, yes, this is a… Splendid drink you’ve made, however, I’m afraid we can’t serve it to customers like this! Ahem, here… Hand me the drink, let’s keep the alcohol and dump all the other ingredients, I’ll use that as a base to mix a new drink” Diona suggested as Lumine gave her it causing Diona to step on a higher platform before beginning to brew a new beverage “First, I’ll chop the Lizard Tail into slices… Then soak it in the drink, next, add the Slime Condensate and stir before leaving it to settle for a bit and finally we sprinkle the Butterfly Dust and…” Diona then realized something “Oh wait, I almost forgot the fish scales!” Diona realized as she began thinking before realizing it “Okay, let’s add it to the drink along with the mucus from the jar! And then we stirrr… C’mon, be dreadful, be awful, be absolutely disgusting!” Diona ordered

Connor who heard that then got worried

“Uh Elzer… Diona is mixing a drink, right?” Connor asked worriedly

“I’ve never seen such a technique before but it is Diona after all, she must have her own way… I suppose” Elzer answered worriedly

Diona continued to mix her drink as Twilight, Connor and Elzer looked worried while Rainbow and Lumine were excited for the drink and once she was done Diona turned to the group

“And… We’re done!” Diona called out before chuckling excitedly “This specialty drink will be the first blow in tearing down the lies of the alcohol industry” Diona said excitedly before giving the glasses to Connor and Elzer “Please, have a taste, come and realize your empty delusions of alcohol” Diona suggested before laughing evilly

Elzer who had already drank a bit could only look in shock and awe

“Wow! Th-This taste! Why, I’ve never had anything like it!” Elzer said in shock and awe

“Let me try…” Connor suggested before he drank it too and could only smile in awe “What a splendid drink! Though the bitterness of an entire Lizard Tail is quite potent, it is perfectly complemented by the refreshing and sour flavor of the Dandelion Wine and in addition the Fish Scales that were broken up during the stirring process have lost all their fishiness after soaking it in the alcohol, the remaining flavor somehow enriches the taste of the drink and the texture of all the Slime Condensate after fully absorbing all the alcohol has become rich and dynamic and lastly the pinch of Butterfly Dust adds a finishing touch that makes this drink perfect, it is sensational both visually and in taste! A true display of craftsmanship!” Connor explained in awe

“WH-WHAT?!” Diona asked in shock and disbelief

“Great job Diona! I’m so happy for you!” Twilight said

“The drink I made earlier isn’t even worth mentioning compared to this one! Ah, and I thought my drink was inspiring!” Connor said in defeat

Diona then grunted angrily

“Stop joking around! You three must have drunk so much that your nose and tongue have lost their senses!” Diona reminded angrily

Lumine who had smelled the bottle then turned to her

“Actually, this drink does smell pretty good” Lumine reminded

“I agree” Rainbow was heard saying

The group then turned to Rainbow who had already drank half of the beverages

“Rainbow!” Twilight called out in shock and disbelief

Twilight then rushed after Rainbow who pulled out her hooves only to get tackled on as Twilight began checking the alcohol temperature with a box she teleported

“What’s wrong?!” Rainbow asked

“You literally drank half of the beverage so I need to be sure you’re not drunk!” Twilight said before she saw the screen turn to orange “Yep, you’re drunk!” Twilight said

Twilight then helped Rainbow up and forced her to hold one hoof on Twilight in order to not fly off without knowledge

“Still, this is impossible! After all I’ve done! How is it that my drink still tastes great?! I must not have messed up enough somewhere…” Diona said in worry before turning to Twilight “Please, use this drink as your base and try making your drink again” Diona said

“Of course not! Ask Lumine!” Twilight ordered angrily

“What?! Why me?!” Lumine asked

“You wished to help Diona right? Well, then so be it! Help. Her!” Twilight suggested angrily

“Maybe I should’ve listened to Twilight” Lumine thought worriedly

“Well Lumine, do you wanna do it?” Diona asked

“Sure” Lumine answered

“Very well, then go ahead” Diona said

“Okay” Lumine said

Lumine then looked at Twilight’s glaring eyes before she worriedly approached the table where the stuff was already prepared as Diona turned to her

“Whatever you do, just make it disgusting!” Diona suggested

Lumine then began getting to work as she began to make more mistakes than she originally did and once she was done she turned to Diona as she gave her it who looked at in disgust

“Yuck! Wh-What is this smell?! The pungent fish smell, sticky Slime Condensate and spongy Lizard Tail… Ew, not to mention the Butterfly Dust everywhere…” Diona called out in disgust before she began fake barfing before she gave a smile at Lumine “Though you didn’t really follow the process we discussed it seems that you’ve actually got quite a knack for this” Diona said

“Th-Thanks!” Lumine said worriedly

“Alright, let’s show this to Elzer and Connor!” Diona suggested

“Ooh, is this another one of Diona’s new drinks?” Elzer asked

“AAH! Wh-What is this?! Even if you purposely tried to botch this it’d still be hard to make something as hideous as this!” Elzer reminded Lumine while Diona tried to give it to him “No, keep it away from me! Please, just take that somewhere else!” Elzer ordered in anger and worry

Meanwhile Connor was confused as to why he’s rejecting it

“Huh, what’s wrong? This is Diona’s specialty drink right? Let me dry…” Connor suggested as he drank it only to feel dizzy “Ughh! You are Diona’s assistant after all, your craft must be… Ahead of the curve” Connor explained before the dizziness got worse as he put a hand on his head “So far ahead of the curve that I… I don’t feel so good, sorry I-I’m just gonna go over there… UGHH!” Connor called out in pain

“Is it really that bad?” Lumine asked

Connor then fell to the ground as Twilight who ignored Rainbow holding her ran towards Connor as she got nervous

“Don’t worry I’m here! Stay strong!” Twilight called out

Twilight then carefully began to do CPR on the guy while Elzer turned to Lumine in worry

“Ahem… In my personal and honest opinion, this drink is absolutely… Terrible” Elzer said

Twilight then took one look at Lumine for a moment

“Yeah, if he’s dead you’ll be in jail! Are you happy about yourself?!” Twilight asked

Lumine then looked down sadly

“Twilight, be nice! She’s our friend!” Rainbow reminded

“I know! And now she’s teaming up with Diona to poison him! What’s your brother gonna think about that?!” Twilight asked angrily

“Look Twilight, I doubt she planned to do that and besides Diona was in the wrong this time, she wanted to help us but she did this all she could poison us, is that so Diona?” Rainbow asked

“I, well, um…” Diona started

“Diona, when we get back I’m gonna fucking sue you!” Twilight said angrily

Everybody in the room then gasped in shock except for Lumine

“Please Twilight! Think about this for a moment, are you sure she planned to do this?” Elzer asked

“Of course! And I’ve got all the proof! Poisoning, manipulation and such! And you Lumine, you’re gonna be an accomplice!” Twilight said

“What?! I just wanted to help you girls with the investigation!” Lumine said angrily

“So you did this as a lie then?!” Diona asked

“Yes! I lied to you! I didn’t trust a single thing you said or did and now you’re gonna get paid!” Lumine answered angrily

“Is it alright if I bail Lumine out then?” Rainbow asked

“Yes, she may be an accomplice but we’re still gonna bail Lumine out!” Twilight said

Diona then growled angrily

“Aren’t you supposed to be Twilight Sparkle? The drinks that Diona made are out of this world and Lumine used the same ingredients and followed nearly the same mixing process but then how is it that the drinks Diona makes are never so bad?” Elzer reminded

“Well that’s because she used a spell maybe or some vision she has!” Twilight explained

“That’s not true! I’d never cheat like that!” Diona reminded angrily

Connor then sat back up and sighed in relief before turning to Lumine and Twilight

“It’s true, no matter what new and unusual ingredients or magic she uses, Diona has never disappointed a single customer” Connor reminded

“Is that what Twilight’s like when she has to solve villains in her own world?” Lumine thought worriedly

“Wow, Twilight’s seriously mad!” Rainbow thought worriedly

“If you don’t believe us you can ask anyone who’s ever gone for a drink in Mondstadt, there’s not a single soul that doesn’t reminisce about her specialty drinks, all it takes is a single sip and you’d wish that you could drink it for the rest of your life” Elzer reminded

“D-Drink… For the rest of my/your life?!” Twilight, Lumine and Diona gasped in shock

“Yeah and the most impressive part of it all is the never-ending list of new ingredients that she is using and no matter what kind of ingredients it may be, if she makes it, it’ll be delicious” Connor explained

“D-Delicious…” Diona and Twilight called out in shock and worry

“After all, you are the genius bartender of Mondstadt and an originator of unique drinks and the pinnacle of—” Connor started before she saw Twilight glared at Diona while Diona got more enraged “Huh? Diona? Are you alright?” Connor asked

“No Connor! You overdid it!” Elzer reminded

“Ah, did I really? Sorry, I couldn’t control myself!” Connor apologized

“Twilight, you did it! Surely Diona will accept—” Lumine started

“No, stop…” Diona ordered

“—Defeat” Lumine finished in disbelief

“Stop joking around everyone! I can make a drink that tastes like that! Here, watch this! Give me that drink Lumine just made, I’ll show you!” Diona ordered angrily before Twilight wanted to levitate the bottle over to Diona who just stole it before she put it in the brewer as she began to fix the beverage “I’m going to add all the remaining ingredients! Lizard Tails, Fish Scales, mucus and the Slime Condensate!” Diona said as she threw everything into the bowl before mixing it “And stirrr… C’mon, be dreadful, be awful, be absolutely disgusting! Ugh, it can’t be that hard!” Diona called out angrily with the last words getting louder before she turned around in relief and happiness “Done! My all-new specialty and this time—” Diona started

“Oh my! What a fragrance!” Connor called out in awe while putting a bit in his glass

Elzer then gasped in awe and put a bit in his glass too

“And the color!” Elzer said

Rainbow then went ahead and did the same before drinking it with a loud belch afterwards

“And the texture!” Rainbow said dizzily

“What is this delightful smell? It’s like a whole new sensation for me!” Connor asked in awe

“What is this unique coloring? Hoho… It’s another perfect drink!” Elzer agreed

“Even the texture tastes 20% cooler!” Rainbow agreed

Diona then growled in anger and disbelief

“Stop joking around you two old drunks!” Diona ordered

Twilight and Lumine then approached Diona who got nervous as she backed off but before the scene could show what happened next it turned to a title card

“I have to go with Twilight’s choice, the flavoring matters more than the base” Lumine explained

“That’s fine with me” Rainbow said

“Thanks for picking the flavoring, I’ll help you decide which ones to use if you have no idea” Twilight said

“I accept” Lumine said

The trio then went back to Diona

“And… Have you girls decided?” Diona asked

“Yes, we’d like the flavoring to be more unique…” Lumine answered

“Hmm, a drink with special flavoring huh? Well, that’ll be easy enough, I was planning on looking for some more flavorings anyway” Diona said before pulling out a checklist and checking it over “Hm, I’ve got a list of things we can search for” Diona explained before she put the checklist away “Hmm… Let’s go visit Blanche first, I placed an order for some flavoring ingredients that should be ready by now” Diona explained

The group then walked towards Blanche’s shop and once they arrived Blanche turned to them happily

“Welcome, is there anything you girls need?” Blanche asked

“Hello Blanche, I came to pick up my order!” Diona explained

“Diona!” Blanche said in shock before she rushed towards a different table and checked if her name’s on the list “Let me see…” Blanche thought before she found it “Yes… Fifteen Lizard Tails, seven vials of Butterfly Dust…” Blanche read before she searched for the stuff and when she found them she brought them over to the group “Everything other than the bottle of Frog Mucus is ready” Blanche explained

“No rush on that, I’ll take whatever’s ready, someone from the tavern will come to settle the bill later” Diona said

“Alright, thank you for your business” Blanche thanked

“Just wondering Diona but what are these…?” Lumine asked while Diona picked the stuff that was in the bag

“Yeah, these look more like alchemy ingredients…” Twilight agreed

“Well… Hehe, yeah, I did ask Timaeus before about what ingredients they use to improve the taste of alchemic medicine…” Diona explained

“Really? Which ingredients did he mention?” Twilight asked

“Well… He mentioned things like Lizard Tails and Crystal Cores but I think Crystal Cores overlap too much with the texture of ice cubes so I chose not to use them but I have, however, always wanted to try Frog Mucus, according to Timaeus, it can make the texture of a drink as thick as mud!” Diona said before laughing with a purr

“I have many questions on why Diona’s parents didn’t teach her on messing with things, especially with stuff this gross” Twilight whispered

“Same here/I agree” Rainbow and Lumine whispered back in agreement

“Now all we have left to get is some Fish Scales and Slime Condensate so let’s search for those in the wild and once we have everything I can make you that drink” Diona said

The group then began walking out of Mondstadt and across the many paths of the wild before they arrived at their destination

“Ahh, we made it! Whether it’s the meat, skin or tails the fish here have great texture and quality” Diona explained

Diona then began foaming at the mouth of tastiness as she turned at the sea before Rainbow waved her hoof in front of her face

“You there Diona?” Rainbow asked

Diona then shook her head

“Oh right, sorry” Diona apologized before turning to her customers “They also have a strong but interesting grass like scent to the meat and scales here too, most people can’t handle it but to the foodies that have unique tastes, it’s amazing” Diona explained excitedly

“You sure know a lot about fish” Lumine said said in happiness and disbelief

“What? No! No, I just overheard stuff from a bunch of old drunks while I was making drinks” Diona said before she noticed the trio looking at her with raised eyebrows “Ugh please, it’s not like I went out of my way to learn about fish or anything!” Diona said nervously before shaking her head “Just go there and catch us a few fresh fish, I have way too many ingredients here and it’d be a hassle for me” Diona explained

“Alright, allow me!” Twilight said

Twilight then jumped into the water while turning herself into a sea pony with her magic as she caught a few fishes before she went back out while transforming into her normal form again

“Wow! How’d you do that?!” Diona asked

“A spell I learned from back home” Twilight answered

“She showed me and Paimon that back when we were living in the wild” Twilight explained

“Wow! I never knew that before! Could you do that to me too?!” Rainbow asked

“We’ll see Rainbow, we’ll see” Twilight said

“Oh! Sweet!” Rainbow said

“We’re getting off topic though” Diona reminded before turning to Twilight “Did you catch any fresh fish?” Diona asked

“Yes I did” Twilight answered while moving them into Diona’s hands with her magic

“Wow, you swim really well and you’re almost as good at catching fish as the cats I look after” Diona applauded

“Thanks!” Twilight said with a slight blush

“No worries” Diona said before giving Lumine the fish’s scales “Now if you could Lumine, you need to scrape off the scales carefully and make sure you also collect the mucus on the fish…?” Diona asked

“Twilight mostly did it but I’ll try” Lumine said

Diona then turned to Twilight who looked a bit embarrassed at her as Diona had terrible thoughts and once the thoughts were gone she turned back to Lumine who did what was asked of her carefully

“Is it working?” Rainbow asked

“Yeah but it’s a little tough” Lumine explained

Just then Diona smelled something making her gasp in awe

“Whoa, the smell of fish… Along with that unique grassy smell… It’s… So strong!” Diona called out in awe before shaking it off “But that’s okay, it’s the potent aroma we need!” Diona explained

After she said Lumine finished as she gave the stuff back to Diona

“I think I really need to wash my hands” Lumine said

“Heh, it’s too much for you huh?” Diona asked before she gave her a cold yet comforting “I guess I can understand, you’re not professional bartenders after all so your tolerance for special ingredients is not like mine” Diona said

“Yeah, sorry” Lumine apologized

“No problem” Diona said before looking down at the back as she noticed the stuff the group had gotten “That’ll just about do it, soaking the scales in the mucus collected from the fish will help preserve them for now” Diona said in relief before she turned to her customers “Next, we need to get some Slime Condensate but don’t worry, I know a place with tons of slime, follow me” Diona suggested

Afterwards Lumine washed her hands by the water and once she was done she joined her group who began walking towards another place in the forest where they were then forced to hide thanks to Diona as the group noticed a few slimes together

“Look, the slimes we’re looking for are just ahead” Diona explained

“Then let’s go and get those slimes” Rainbow suggested

“Huh but if I go after those slimes I might ruin all the ingredients I have with me and that would be bad…” Diona said worriedly

“You sure?” Twilight asked

“Yeah so can one of you defeat those slimes and bring me the Slime Condensate?” Diona asked

“Of course, allow me, I may not have fought slimes but I know just how to beat them!” Rainbow said

Rainbow then rushed towards the slimes who heard her galloping

“Wait Rainbow get back!” Diona called out

But it was too late as the slimes had already seen her as they hopped over to her

“Hey you! Come and get a taste of this!” Rainbow said

Rainbow then zipped to the slimes and continued to poke them as many slimes then got worried before letting out a cold breeze as they flew all around before dropping back to the ground unconscious as Rainbow went to stab them once more just to make sure they were dead before she pulled out some slimy orbs and approached the group

“What did you all think of that?” Rainbow asked

“I have one word, never do that again” Twilight said

“Fine but at least they’re gone now and you’ve got the Slime Condensates so that problem’s solved” Rainbow reminded

“Still, that was quick and precise, only people who don’t drink can fight like that!” Diona said

“Exactly! …Hey!” Rainbow said

Twilight and Lumine then chuckled a bit while Diona glared at her

“I-I mean, thank you” Rainbow thanked nervously

“Still, I think Slime Condensate will intensify the taste and texture of the drink hehehe…” Diona explained before thinking “Hmm… You two might be a little unfamiliar but aside from the taste of the alcohol, those old drunkards are also very keen on the texture of the drink, they’ve even invented a number of phrases to describe it for example ‘sticky like honey’ or ‘refreshing as the springs’” Diona explained before fake barfing in disgust

“Yep, and they share it with all the veteran drunkards such as me” Rainbow explained

“By a technicality you’re wrong, you’re not a veteran” Twilight reminded

“Huh, really?” Rainbow asked

“Yeah, it’s a long story” Twilight answered

“Alright then” Rainbow said

“Anyways, they use beautiful ways of describing their drinks but drinking is drinking and it doesn’t matter how you make it sound alcohol is still a terrible thing” Diona reminded

“No it’s not!” Rainbow reminded angrily

“You just have to see what my dad’s always doing! Maybe that way you can figure out his behavior” Diona said angrily

“That doesn’t mean it’s bad!” Rainbow reminded

“You know, when you have the time I’ll have you meet up with my dad, that way you can see how bad it is” Diona said angrily

“Bet!” Rainbow dared

Diona then grunted in disbelief

“Nevermind, the reason why I wanted to use Slime Condensate is because I wanted a dense, sticky consistency and once I put this into a drink I’m sure it’ll preserve it’s form and start absorbing the alcohol quickly” Diona explained

“That sounds cool… hopefully…” Twilight said nervously

Diona then took a glance at Rainbow if she was still mad only to see her giving a brave look making her sigh in disbelief

“Those old boozers wanted to try something different huh?” Diona asked which caused Rainbow to nod, making her chuckle a bit “Well, they can try this sticky, gooey Drunken Slime!” Diona said

“Heh, trying to make my tastebuds worse, we’ll see about that” Rainbow said with a brave look

“Why do you want to use this to make drinks?” Lumine asked getting more suspicious of Diona

“So I can make the worst drink conceivable and show everyone the true nature of alcohol” Diona reminded

“That’s not the way to do it” Twilight reminded

“Yes it is!” Diona argued back angrily

“I don’t think her parents learned her anything about poisoning” Lumine whispered

“I agree though apparently it isn’t working so this means I’ll have to investigate her more” Twilight whispered back

“I can hear you!” Diona called out

“Gh—!” Lumine and Twilight called out in shock

“You do know that in order to attract customers taverns use all kinds of strategies and schemes to make people believe that alcohol is not only good but a necessity, right?!” Diona asked angrily

“Yeah, that is true but—” Twilight started

“They use special ingredients, come up with fancy names and promote limited-time drinks for holidays and events, they come up with all kinds of reasons to get people drinking and Dawn Winery is at the heart of it all, they have no boundaries when it comes to selling alcohol, their one and only goal is to make sure that people keep drinking and that their own pockets get filled with Mora” Diona reminded angrily

“They’re not that greedy and besides, they do other stuff too besides selling alcohol” Twilight reminded

“Twilight’s right, sure it may look suspicious but believe me, not everyone’s like that, especially my brother” Lumine explained

“But it’s not only a crime! It’s also a scam! No good can come from alcohol!” Diona reminded

“Well, that’s only if you drink everything in one go” Twilight said

“Yeah, I may like apple cider but I drink it very carefully” Rainbow explained

“And that’s why it’s my mission to make the worst drink ever and to wake people up and free Mondstadt from the jaws of alcoholism” Diona said in disbelief

“Don’t you believe me?!” Rainbow asked

“Of course not, remember that one time you broke into my house and went to bed with my father, my mom broke up after she saw that!” Diona reminded angrily

“Rainbow!” Lumine and Twilight called out angrily

“Hehe, maybe I did drink too fast that one time” Rainbow explained before chuckling nervously

Diona then sighed in disbelief

“And that is why I’m always searching for new ingredients and experimenting with them” Diona said in disbelief before grunting in worry “However… Up until now I haven’t been able to make a single bad drink, no matter what ingredients I use! All the drinks I mix only make those deadbeat drunks all the happier!” Diona said in sadness and disbelief before sighing in defeat “I’ve already lost track of how many kinds of ingredients I’ve tried, I’ve even used ingredients way more unusual than this and have yet to ever succeed” Diona said in disbelief before sighing in defeat “I really don’t know what I need to do to make the most horrendous drink in the world!” Diona said sadly before meowing a bit

“Quit!” Rainbow suggested

“What?! No way! I will never quit!” Diona reminded angrily

“How about trying a different way of making the drinks?” Lumine asked

“A different way?” Diona asked

“Lumine, what are you suggesting?!” Twilight asked in shock and worry

“Trust me, whatever I say will not work” Lumine whispered

“What are you trying to say? That my methods aren’t professional enough? Believe me, I’ve done my research! I’ve studied how to handle a shaker, adjust the temperature of the glasses and even the subtle techniques of stirring…” Diona reminded angrily

“Then why don’t we start by looking at your mixing technique” Lumine suggested

“My mixing technique? You’re saying the reason I can’t make terrible-tasting drinks is because of my technique?” Diona asked

“I think it is” Lumine answered

After Lumine said that Diona began thinking

“Hmm… It’s true that I’ve never been professionally trained but I hear from the old drunkards that it’s very complicated, that every step must be precise and that even the slightest mistake is unacceptable… Or else…” Diona explained

“Or else the drink will taste bad?” Lumine asked

“That… That was right! Or else the drink will taste bad!” Diona answered happily while clapping as she realized something “I-I see, I’ve never thought of it this way before…” Diona said happily

“You just made it worse” Twilight said while facepalming

Diona then began thinking excitedly

“First, we need to find someone to ask about the techniques of mixing a great drink, then we use the same ingredients and purposely mess up every step of the process!” Diona suggested

“Let’s not do that” Twilight suggested

“Yes we will, I mean, I want to see how good she is and once we’ve seen how good she is we’ll quit investigating” Lumine suggested

“But, what if she poisons them or worse… Us?” Twilight asked

“It won’t happen, I’m sure of it” Lumine said

“So, are you girls with me?” Diona asked

“I speak for the three of us when I say yes!” Lumine answered

Afterwards Rainbow and Twilight gasped in shock

“I did say we were not gonna—” Twilight shushed

“Don’t listen to her, we will of course do our best to help you” Lumine said

“Haha yeah! This might finally work woohoo!” Diona cheered before she realized something “Wait a second, how did you come up with this idea? You girls don’t secretly drink do you?” Diona asked before hissing angrily

“Well, I don’t think anyone in this world would ever sell me alcohol…” Lumine reminded

“That’s a good thing, it’d be best to never have a single drop” Diona suggested before she began thinking “First I need to find a professional bartender, one that I could consult about the ways of mixing a drink professionally” Diona thought out loud

“Alright but where do we find them?” Rainbow asked

“Yeah, where could I find someone?” Diona said before grunting “Does this mean I need to go to Angel’s Share? …Or Dawn Winery?” Diona asked worriedly

“Yeah, you’ll have to” Lumine answered worriedly

“Nope, nope, uh-uh! Never! I refuse to ever set a paw in those places…” Diona said before she noticed Rainbow moving her hoof to ask something making her wiggle her finger in front of Rainbow’s face “Don’t even ask, I have my own reasons” Diona reminded before she turned around “Let’s head back first, we’ve collected plenty of ingredients and as for the mixing technique… I’ll figure out another way” Diona suggested

Meanwhile somebody who heard them talking as he walked towards them

“Diona? And these are… The Guard and Honorary Knights” The guy called out in shock before sighing in relief “Oh what a coincidence running into you three here, are you three out collecting ingredients?” The guy asked

The group who heard him then turned around

“Of course, what’s that gotta do with you?” Rainbow asked

“Nothing, I was just wondering what Diona will plan on whipping up this time since it’s always a surprise to see what she makes” The guy explained

“Guess you are a fan of hers, see Diona, you should never do that, especially with fans like him” Twilight said

Diona then scoffed

“Whatever” Diona said in disbelief

“I myself know a thing or two about mixing drinks but Elzer tells me that my drinks can’t even compare to Diona’s… They seem to lack that ‘special something’ so I’ve been looking for some inspiration but I’ve been stuck in a rut, I’m not sure whether it’s the traditional techniques I use or if I’m just too conservative with my ingredients” The guy explained in worry, sadness and confusion

“This is your opportunity to ask about mixing techniques!” Lumine whispered to Diona

“You mean I should ask him for some professional pointers?” Diona whispered back before thinking and eventually sighing in relief and disbelief “Alright, perhaps he’ll do” Diona said

Lumine then turned to the guy

“We’d like to ask you about your techniques for mixing drinks” Lumine explained

“Yeah, umm… You’re trying to find new mixing inspiration… And I’m trying some new recipes out so maybe we can… Exchange some ideas?” Diona asked

“Oh, why, I’d be honored! No problem at all!” The guy answered

“However, for the ingredients we must use the ones I’ve just collected, I have Lizard Tails, Butterfly Dust, Fish Scales and Slime Condensate” Diona explained

“Hmm… We need to use these materials huh? Well I guess it’s time for me to expand my repertoire as well…” The guy thought out loud before chuckling a bit and turning to the group “Let’s go back to the winery, I have some basic mixing tools there” The guy said

“Y-You mean we have to go to Dawn Winery? Couldn’t we also go to Angel’s Share? I mean, they have a full range of mixing tools…” Diona reminded

“Hmm… Well, you are the bartender at the Cat’s Tail, right?” The guy asked

“Yeah she is” Twilight answered

“Well, given that the Cat’s Tail and Angel’s Share are competitors it would be rather inappropriate if you were to mix drinks there, that would probably cause quite a bit of trouble for Margaret as well and besides, there are many loyal patrons at Angel’s Share so with your reputation it’d cause quite a commotion if you were to be seen mixing drinks there so in any case I wouldn’t recommend going to Angel’s Share and besides, the winery is close by so there’s no need for us to go so far” The guy reminded

“Is it just me or was that a rehearsed speech?” Twilight and Lumine thought at the same time

“Speaking of the winery, won’t that guy Elzer be there?” Diona asked

“Elzer? Sure, he’ll be there but he’s been busy taking care of guild matters lately, why do you ask?” The guy asked

Diona then scoffed in relief

“Just as long as he’s not around it’s fine and besides our little exchange here is between just the two of us so it’d be best if others don’t get involved” Diona suggested before she turned to the three next to her “Well, except for the travelers and Rainbow here, we’ve been out collecting ingredients together so they’re kinda like… My assistants, they’ll be allowed to participate” Diona explained

The guy then chuckled nervously

“Fine by me, shall we get going? The winery isn’t far so we’ll be there in no time” The guy said

“Of course, let’s go girls!” Rainbow said

Rainbow then walked off with Diona and the guy as Lumine wanted to walk too before she felt something hit her as she turned around only to notice Twilight had used her magic to throw an apple at her

“What was that for?!” Lumine asked

“To let you know that we’ll talk about this later” Twilight answered angrily

Twilight then walked off as Lumine could only look at her in shock

“Wha— bu—” Lumine started

“You coming or what?” Twilight called out angrily

“Yes Twilight” Lumine answered worriedly

Lumine then walked after Twilight as the duo went on a short and quick walk towards the Dawn Winery and once they arrived Rainbow, Diona and the guy turned to them

“Oh, you’re both here” The guy said in relief before turning to Diona and Rainbow “Look, I’ve already prepared all the tools we need, sure they’re a little… Basic but they should do just fine, I’ve also prepared a top-shelf bottle of Dandelion Wine to use as a drink base” The guy explained

“OOH!” Rainbow and Lumine called out

Twilight meanwhile sighed in disbelief before turning to Diona

“They are getting too attached, aren’t they?” Twilight asked disbelief

“Yep, they definitely are” Diona answered in disbelief

The guy then turned to Diona and Twilight

“Hey Diona, I’ve also heard that you don’t like to see people drink too much, am I right?” The guy asked

“Of course I don’t” Diona answered

“Well, today, we’ll strictly just exchange techniques so there will be no talk of drinking and even if we try the drinks, we’ll just only have a little taste, how’s that sound?” The guy asked

“Fine I suppose and these tools will suffice” Diona answered in disbelief and worry

“Oh and Twilight, since you’re so worried about the poisoning I’ll have you be the medic in case things go wrong” The guy said

“What, how’d you know?!” Twilight asked in shock

“Just a hunch!” The guy answered with a smile

“I still have many questions but alright, I’ll do whatever it takes” Twilight said

“Just wondering, how did you prepare so many things in advance?” Lumine asked

The guy then chuckled a bit

“Well, we’ve always been hoping to invite Diona to our winery to instruct us on her techniques of mixing drinks and while the preparations have been made, we just never had the chance so how could I not be fully prepared now that she’s willing to come today!” The guy answered

“True” Lumine realized

“Oh and to keep things fair we’ll need an impartial judge…” The guy suggested

“Well, we have the Honorary Knights” Diona reminded

“She’s right, your honor!” Lumine asked

“This is not Twilight Sparkle: Ace Attorney you know” Twilight reminded

“Did you just— Never mind, I won’t question it” Lumine said

“Still, they don’t look—” The guy started

“Don’t you dare say it!” Rainbow ordered angrily

“No need Rainbow, I already said I won’t drink any alcohol so it’s fine” Lumine said

“But I don’t want t—” Rainbow started

The guy then chuckled a bit

“So honest and forthcoming, you are after all the Honorary Knight and Guard of the Knights of Favonius, what impressive discipline!” The guy said before he began thinking “Then who could we find to be the judge?” The guy asked

The doors were then heard opening as the group turned around only to see an older type of guy walking into the room

“Connor, there you are, I’ve been looking for you, what are you doing here?” The older guy asked in relief

“Elzer, your timing couldn’t be any more perfect, I’m about to have a little mixing competition with Diona here…” The guy explained

“What?! Really?! That’s great! Would it be alright if I stayed to observe?” The older guy asked

“Actually, we’re looking for a judge so would you be free to help us out?” The guy asked

The guy then chuckled in excitement

“Why, I’d be delighted! It’d be an honor to have an opportunity and a taste of Diona’s craft” The older guy asked

“What a… Coincidence” Lumine thought in shock

“These two have been planning this all along” Twilight thought in shock

“So, what’s that old booze sponge Elzer doing here? He doesn’t think that I’m here to collaborate with them does he?” Diona asked

“Collaborate with them? I doubt that’s happening right now” Lumine answered in confusion

“Don’t you know? Elzer used to always show up at the Cat’s Tail” Diona reminded

“Oh—!” Lumine realized

“Every time he came he’d always be sweet-talking me and trying to get me to work with the Dawn Winery and come up with some sort of new drink, he needs to know that will never happen, not until I figure out how to make the most terrible drink in the world” Diona reminded angrily

The guy then turned to Diona nervously

“Uh, so then… Shall we begin, Diona?” The guy asked

“Sure but like I said before, this is an exchange of techniques as bartenders, anyone not involved should stay away” Diona reminded

“What is that supposed to mean?” The older guy named Elzer asked in shock

The guy then turned to Elzer nervously

“Um Elzer… Why don’t you just take a break over there? We’ll bring over the drinks once they’re finished” The guy suggested

“Wait, but I—” Elzer started

“Elzer, just—” The guy started

“Their faces are gonna cramp up with all the facial cues they’re throwing each other” Lumine thought worriedly

“Ah… Right! I shouldn’t disturb the mixing process! I’ll uh…” Elzer started before pointing to a faraway table “Be over there, just let me know if you need me” Elzer suggested

Elzer then walked off as the guy turned to the heroes and Diona

“Alright, since I invited you girls here, I’ll begin” The guy suggested before he turned to the stuff Diona put on the table “Lizard Tail’s bitter nature will ruin the alcohol’s nature and taste so we should soak it in distilled spirits first to remove the bitterness and then add it to the Dandelion Wine later as flavoring…” The guy explained before turning to the Slime Condensate “Hmm… Slime Condensate in small amounts could improve the texture but not too much otherwise the alcohol might start to coagulate” The guy reminded before turning to the Fish Scales and Butterfly Dust in concern “The smell of these Fish Scales is way too strong, there’s no way it could go in a drink, also, is Butterfly Dust even edible?” The guy asked before sighing in disbelief “Oh well, let’s start mixing and see what we end up with…” The guy suggested

The guy then began making the beverage as the others checked on what he was doing and once he was done he turned to the group as Rainbow had brought Elzer back

“You said you needed me” Elzer reminded

“Yes, it’s done, Elzer, if you could please do the honors” The guy suggested

The guy then gave the beverage to Elzer who studied it carefully

“Ahem… The color and presentation… Hmm, it looks very interesting, let me have a try…” Elzer suggested before drinking a bit of it before moving his lips in delight “Mmm, upon an initial taste the impact of the distilled spirits mixed with the refreshing Dandelion Wine along with a hint of bitterness all work to accentuate the distinct flavor of the drink and this slightly thicker texture… Hmm, it really is a memorable drink” Elzer said in awe before turning to the guy “Yes, not bad Connor, looks like you’ve finally found the right inspiration to guide your mixing techniques” Elzer said in awe

“It’s all thanks to Diona, if she hadn’t asked for this little exchange of skills and provided all the ingredients then I’d probably still be confined to my old techniques and usual ingredients” The guy called Connor explained before getting worried “However, I wasn’t able to find a way to use the Butterfly Dust and Fish Scales, seems that my creativity is still quite limited…” Connor said worriedly

Elzer then chuckled a bit

“No worries, not everyone possesses Diona’s genius intuition and techniques, no need to be so hard on yourself” Elzer suggested

Diona then turned to Lumine

“So he actually made something good out of these ingredients… Do you remember all the techniques he used?” Diona asked

“I tried to remember as much as I could” Lumine answered

Twilight who felt a sudden force then turned to Diona and Lumine strictly but they didn’t notice

“The process wasn’t too complicated so next all we have to do is follow the same steps but mess them all up” Diona suggested

“Let’s not do that please” Lumine suggested

“Of course we will!” Diona ordered which made Lumine nervous “First, you can try making a drink using the same techniques” Diona suggested

“Why don’t you just make it?” Lumine asked

“Because observation and experimentation come first when a professional bartender is faced with a new mixing technique and as my assistant you must try your best to make a horrible, terrible tasting drink and meanwhile I’ll watch closely and see if there’s any room for improvement” Diona said

Elzer then turned to Diona and Lumine as Rainbow, Connor and Twilight did so too while Twilight pretended to smile

“So Diona’s going to be making the next drink for us, right?” Elzer asked

“I just can’t wait to see what she’ll be making!” Connor said in agreement

“Same here! Hope it’s delicious!” Rainbow agreed

“I hope so too” Twilight lied before whispering to the duo “If you mess this up we’ll have a long talk” Twilight whispered

“It’s like Twilight is staring into my soul” Lumine thought worriedly

“Sure but before I do, let’s allow my assistant to have a try, he’s also very interested in mixing drinks” Diona reminded

“Is he a bartender as well? Ooh, aren’t we lucky? We’re in for a treat” Elzer said excitedly

“Do I tell them or not?” Twilight thought before shrugging despite having a worried feeling “I won’t but if things go wrong I’ll do my best to fix it” Twilight thought worriedly

Elzer then went to prepare everything for Lumine to use

“Please this way, all the materials and tools are already prepared so you may start when you’re ready” Elzer suggested

Lumine then approached the table as Diona turned to her

“Shall we begin then?” Diona asked

“Yes we shall” Lumine answered

Lumine then began mixing up a new beverage as she began thinking on how to make it worse and soon enough she was done

“Are you done mixing the drink?” Diona asked

“Yes I am” Lumine answered

Diona then picked it up and to gave it to Connor and Elzer with the latter drinking a bit before they stopped

“I’m sorry but this drink is way too uh… Creative for me so I’m afraid I couldn’t stomach it” Connor apologized

“Uh, yes, this drink is, uhh… Very creative, Connor, I think you should taste it” Elzer suggested nervously

Diona then cheered excitedly while whispering

“Looks like it worked! All we have to do is mess up every step of a professional mixing method and we end up with an absolutely terrible drink” Diona cheered before chuckling a bit before she realized what she was doing “Ahem, yes, this is a… Splendid drink you’ve made, however, I’m afraid we can’t serve it to customers like this! Ahem, here… Hand me the drink, let’s keep the alcohol and dump all the other ingredients, I’ll use that as a base to mix a new drink” Diona suggested as Lumine gave her it causing Diona to step on a higher platform before beginning to brew a new beverage “First, I’ll chop the Lizard Tail into slices… Then soak it in the drink, next, add the Slime Condensate and stir before leaving it to settle for a bit and finally we sprinkle the Butterfly Dust and…” Diona then realized something “Oh wait, I almost forgot the fish scales!” Diona realized as she began thinking before realizing it “Okay, let’s add it to the drink along with the mucus from the jar! And then we stirrr… C’mon, be dreadful, be awful, be absolutely disgusting!” Diona ordered

Connor who heard that then got worried

“Uh Elzer… Diona is mixing a drink, right?” Connor asked worriedly

“I’ve never seen such a technique before but it is Diona after all, she must have her own way… I suppose” Elzer answered worriedly

Diona continued to mix her drink as Twilight, Connor and Elzer looked worried while Rainbow and Lumine were excited for the drink and once she was done Diona turned to the group

“And… We’re done!” Diona called out before chuckling excitedly “This specialty drink will be the first blow in tearing down the lies of the alcohol industry” Diona said excitedly before giving the glasses to Connor and Elzer “Please, have a taste, come and realize your empty delusions of alcohol” Diona suggested before laughing evilly

Elzer who had already drank a bit could only look in shock and awe

“Wow! Th-This taste! Why, I’ve never had anything like it!” Elzer said in shock and awe

“Let me try…” Connor suggested before he drank it too and could only smile in awe “What a splendid drink! Though the bitterness of an entire Lizard Tail is quite potent, it is perfectly complemented by the refreshing and sour flavor of the Dandelion Wine and in addition the Fish Scales that were broken up during the stirring process have lost all their fishiness after soaking it in the alcohol, the remaining flavor somehow enriches the taste of the drink and the texture of all the Slime Condensate after fully absorbing all the alcohol has become rich and dynamic and lastly the pinch of Butterfly Dust adds a finishing touch that makes this drink perfect, it is sensational both visually and in taste! A true display of craftsmanship!” Connor explained in awe

“WH-WHAT?!” Diona asked in shock and disbelief

“Great job Diona! I’m so happy for you!” Twilight said

“The drink I made earlier isn’t even worth mentioning compared to this one! Ah, and I thought my drink was inspiring!” Connor said in defeat

Diona then grunted angrily

“Stop joking around! You three must have drunk so much that your nose and tongue have lost their senses!” Diona reminded angrily

Lumine who had smelled the bottle then turned to her

“Actually, this drink does smell pretty good” Lumine reminded

“I agree” Rainbow was heard saying

The group then turned to Rainbow who had already drank half of the beverages

“Rainbow!” Twilight called out in shock and disbelief

Twilight then rushed after Rainbow who pulled out her hooves only to get tackled on as Twilight began checking the alcohol temperature with a box she teleported

“What’s wrong?!” Rainbow asked

“You literally drank half of the beverage so I need to be sure you’re not drunk!” Twilight said before she saw the screen turn to orange “Yep, you’re drunk!” Twilight said

Twilight then helped Rainbow up and forced her to hold one hoof on Twilight in order to not fly off without knowledge

“Still, this is impossible! After all I’ve done! How is it that my drink still tastes great?! I must not have messed up enough somewhere…” Diona said in worry before turning to Twilight “Please, use this drink as your base and try making your drink again” Diona said

“Of course not! Ask Lumine!” Twilight ordered angrily

“What?! Why me?!” Lumine asked

“You wished to help Diona right? Well, then so be it! Help. Her!” Twilight suggested angrily

“Maybe I should’ve listened to Twilight” Lumine thought worriedly

“Well Lumine, do you wanna do it?” Diona asked

“Sure” Lumine answered

“Very well, then go ahead” Diona said

“Okay” Lumine said

Lumine then looked at Twilight’s glaring eyes before she worriedly approached the table where the stuff was already prepared as Diona turned to her

“Whatever you do, just make it disgusting!” Diona suggested

Lumine then began getting to work as she began to make more mistakes than she originally did and once she was done she turned to Diona as she gave her it who looked at in disgust

“Yuck! Wh-What is this smell?! The pungent fish smell, sticky Slime Condensate and spongy Lizard Tail… Ew, not to mention the Butterfly Dust everywhere…” Diona called out in disgust before she began fake barfing before she gave a smile at Lumine “Though you didn’t really follow the process we discussed it seems that you’ve actually got quite a knack for this” Diona said

“Th-Thanks!” Lumine said worriedly

“Alright, let’s show this to Elzer and Connor!” Diona suggested

“Ooh, is this another one of Diona’s new drinks?” Elzer asked

“AAH! Wh-What is this?! Even if you purposely tried to botch this it’d still be hard to make something as hideous as this!” Elzer reminded Lumine while Diona tried to give it to him “No, keep it away from me! Please, just take that somewhere else!” Elzer ordered in anger and worry

Meanwhile Connor was confused as to why he’s rejecting it

“Huh, what’s wrong? This is Diona’s specialty drink right? Let me dry…” Connor suggested as he drank it only to feel dizzy “Ughh! You are Diona’s assistant after all, your craft must be… Ahead of the curve” Connor explained before the dizziness got worse as he put a hand on his head “So far ahead of the curve that I… I don’t feel so good, sorry I-I’m just gonna go over there… UGHH!” Connor called out in pain

“Is it really that bad?” Lumine asked

Connor then fell to the ground as Twilight who ignored Rainbow holding her ran towards Connor as she got nervous

“Don’t worry I’m here! Stay strong!” Twilight called out

Twilight then carefully began to do CPR on the guy while Elzer turned to Lumine in worry

“Ahem… In my personal and honest opinion, this drink is absolutely… Terrible” Elzer said

Twilight then took one look at Lumine for a moment

“Yeah, if he’s dead you’ll be in jail! Are you happy about yourself?!” Twilight asked

Lumine then looked down sadly

“Twilight, be nice! She’s our friend!” Rainbow reminded

“I know! And now she’s teaming up with Diona to poison him! What’s your brother gonna think about that?!” Twilight asked angrily

“Look Twilight, I doubt she planned to do that and besides Diona was in the wrong this time, she wanted to help us but she did this all she could poison us, is that so Diona?” Rainbow asked

“I, well, um…” Diona started

“Diona, when we get back I’m gonna fucking sue you!” Twilight said angrily

Everybody in the room then gasped in shock except for Lumine

“Please Twilight! Think about this for a moment, are you sure she planned to do this?” Elzer asked

“Of course! And I’ve got all the proof! Poisoning, manipulation and such! And you Lumine, you’re gonna be an accomplice!” Twilight said

“What?! I just wanted to help you girls with the investigation!” Lumine said angrily

“So you did this as a lie then?!” Diona asked

“Yes! I lied to you! I didn’t trust a single thing you said or did and now you’re gonna get paid!” Lumine answered angrily

“Is it alright if I bail Lumine out then?” Rainbow asked

“Yes, she may be an accomplice but we’re still gonna bail Lumine out!” Twilight said

Diona then growled angrily

“Aren’t you supposed to be Twilight Sparkle? The drinks that Diona made are out of this world and Lumine used the same ingredients and followed nearly the same mixing process but then how is it that the drinks Diona makes are never so bad?” Elzer reminded

“Well that’s because she used a spell maybe or some vision she has!” Twilight explained

“That’s not true! I’d never cheat like that!” Diona reminded angrily

Connor then sat back up and sighed in relief before turning to Lumine and Twilight

“It’s true, no matter what new and unusual ingredients or magic she uses, Diona has never disappointed a single customer” Connor reminded

“Is that what Twilight’s like when she has to solve villains in her own world?” Lumine thought worriedly

“Wow, Twilight’s seriously mad!” Rainbow thought worriedly

“If you don’t believe us you can ask anyone who’s ever gone for a drink in Mondstadt, there’s not a single soul that doesn’t reminisce about her specialty drinks, all it takes is a single sip and you’d wish that you could drink it for the rest of your life” Elzer reminded

“D-Drink… For the rest of my/your life?!” Twilight, Lumine and Diona gasped in shock

“Yeah and the most impressive part of it all is the never-ending list of new ingredients that she is using and no matter what kind of ingredients it may be, if she makes it, it’ll be delicious” Connor explained

“D-Delicious…” Diona and Twilight called out in shock and worry

“After all, you are the genius bartender of Mondstadt and an originator of unique drinks and the pinnacle of—” Connor started before she saw Twilight glared at Diona while Diona got more enraged “Huh? Diona? Are you alright?” Connor asked

“No Connor! You overdid it!” Elzer reminded

“Ah, did I really? Sorry, I couldn’t control myself!” Connor apologized

“Twilight, you did it! Surely Diona will accept—” Lumine started

“No, stop…” Diona ordered

“—Defeat” Lumine finished in disbelief

“Stop joking around everyone! I can make a drink that tastes like that! Here, watch this! Give me that drink Lumine just made, I’ll show you!” Diona ordered angrily before Twilight wanted to levitate the bottle over to Diona who just stole it before she put it in the brewer as she began to fix the beverage “I’m going to add all the remaining ingredients! Lizard Tails, Fish Scales, mucus and the Slime Condensate!” Diona said as she threw everything into the bowl before mixing it “And stirrr… C’mon, be dreadful, be awful, be absolutely disgusting! Ugh, it can’t be that hard!” Diona called out angrily with the last words getting louder before she turned around in relief and happiness “Done! My all-new specialty and this time—” Diona started

“Oh my! What a fragrance!” Connor called out in awe while putting a bit in his glass

Elzer then gasped in awe and put a bit in his glass too

“And the color!” Elzer said

Rainbow then went ahead and did the same before drinking it with a loud belch afterwards

“And the texture!” Rainbow said dizzily

“What is this delightful smell? It’s like a whole new sensation for me!” Connor asked in awe

“What is this unique coloring? Hoho… It’s another perfect drink!” Elzer agreed

“Even the texture tastes 20% cooler!” Rainbow agreed

Diona then growled in anger and disbelief

“Stop joking around you two old drunks!” Diona ordered

Twilight and Lumine then approached Diona who got nervous as she backed off but before the scene could show what happened next it turned to a title card

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