An old witch who wanted to be young again

Mona felt anxious. It had been a few months but now she was returning home. Ever since she read her master's diary, she had been on edge, fearing the kind of punishment that the old hag would give her. Such fear had made her stay in Mondstadt to hide. She had thought it would have been ideal, that she was safe.

Then one day she received a letter from her homeland in Fontaine, it was from her Master, and she was dying. It was only then did Mona realize how childish she was actually being. Really was this how a great Astrologer was suppose to act. One wrong move and then you hide yourself in a foreign land to avoid consequences. Mona had really been pathetic, but it was time to change that, so she bid her friends fare well and headed home.

The trip had been uneventful to say the least. There was no traveller accompanying her, nor any Paimon. Nothing of note had happened, which was honestly sought of a blessing. There was no ambush or anything like that, no one attempted to rob her. It was a nice change of pace, it left her feeling relieved, then she arrived in front of her Master's doorstep.

She stood dare for a few solid minutes pondering her next move. What was she supposed to do? Could she just knock on the door and enter like nothing happened? Should she wait to be invited? Did she make it in time? Was she too late? These were all questions that flowed through her mind, numerous as the stars above. One would think that as an astrologer she would have some foresight before entering, but she never could read her master's future and quite frankly, she wondered if she should have. Her master was dying what sense did it make to read an old dying woman's future.

Eventually Mona swallowed her pride and knocked on the door. It took a few minutes before it opened, showing a new face she had never seen before. She was about to ask who this young man was, when he raised his arm to stop her. "You must be Mona," He stated. "I am Nero, your teacher's current caretaker." He introduced. "Would you like to come inside?" He questioned. Mona nodded as she entered her Master's abode.

"So how is she?" Mona questioned as she walked inside. It seemed like nothing had changed at all since she had last been here. Everything was exactly how she remembered it being. There were still pictures of her master along with other Astrologers. In the photos one could see that this place as a whole had been a gift of sorts. The owner had been an Astrologer who passed it on to her student, who then passed it to her own student and so on, till it was passed to Mona's master. Now on the wall lay a picture of Mona herself next to her master's photograph.

"For a woman her age, she is doing well." The caretaker noted. "She isn't in much pain nor does she seem to be suffering any mental issues with age, but it does seem like she's running out of time." He admitted. "I was curious if you would have made it back in time, considering the rate she's going, suffice to say she was positive you'd come." He told her.

"So can I go see?" Mona questioned.

"Sure, she woke not too long ago." He told her. "Just head up stairs."

"Thank you." Mona told him as she walked up, not noticing the malicious smile that crept on the caretakers lips as she walked up.

Upon arriving at her Master's room, Mona stopped near the open doorway. She didn't want to disturb her master, if she was sleeping so she tried to listen to her to hear if the old was asleep or not. "Mona, get in here." An old ragged voice called her. Almost immediately Mona straightened up and walked inside. Embarrassment filling her face. Even after all this time, the old hag's awareness of her surroundings hadn't dimmed.

"Sorry for disturbing you." Mona admitted out of habit as she bowed.

"Nonsense." The other woman said as she snapped Mona out of it. "It's good to you again, Mona" She spoke in a softer and calmer voice. Mona looked up from her bow, to see her Master properly for the first time. The woman who had taken her under wing and mentored her since she was young girl had changed so much. Gone was the once vibrant Astrologer, now before Mona lay a frail old woman who looked like nothing more than a withered husk. The lady had honestly looked like she would turn to dust at any second, it made Mona feel all the worse now for leaving. "How have you been?" The elderly lady asked as she eyed Mona's body.

"Oh...well I've been good." Mona admitted. "I've been focusing on my Astrology just like I promised." She told her.

"You found Alice's daughter I take it." The elderly woman noted. "I believe you also found my diary." The woman added in.

"Look Master, I'm sorry I read it without permission." Mona was about to apologize, but her master stopped her.

"Don't apologize, I know it was a mistake." Her master told her. "It happens to the best of us. I shouldn't have been so strict as to make you so terrified to stay away from your home." She admitted. "I felt like a failure when I realized my only student had runaway from me. I shouldn't have been so careless."

"No, it was my fault, I was just acting childish." Mona admitted. "what's important now, is that I am here," Mona told her.

"Yes, you're here, that is what's the most important. Most important indeed" Her teacher smiled. "So tell me, Mona what have you been up to lately? Have you gotten married yet or gotten into any relationships?" Her master teased.

"Master!" Mona blushed. "I've already told you before, that I have no intention of pursuing any relationships. I'm going to focus on my Astrology."

"Well that's nice to hear, though it is a shame. You're a young and beautiful woman, dare I say it, one could argue you are also very sexy." Her Master smirked. "I'm positive if you tried, you could get anyone you wanted. I'd dare say even my caretaker would become putty in your hands."

"Master."

"I'm only joking." The old woman raised her arm up in defense. "Though I do wonder, do you have friends now at least? It's good to focus on you're work but surely you must have some friends."

"I do know some people back in Mondstadt." Mona admitted. "However now that I've returned home, I suppose I'll merely keep in touch with letters. I don't think I'll be heading for a while." Mona explained.

"I see." Her master smiled. "Well I suppose it can't be helped." She told Mona. "Has my vision been serving you well?" Her master finally questioned.

Mona stopped and felt for the vision on her back. Unfastening the divine device Mona removed it from her person before showing it to her master. "It's been serving me well. I never did thank you for it." She admitted as she held up the device. The blue hydro symbol glowed softly in her hands.

"Hydro is the element of change." Her master repeated. "Water is never fixed to a single form, always changing, always flexible and adaptive to whatever vessel it is place in."

"The Oceanid certainly seems to share your view." Mona joked lightly.

"I suppose all denizens of the deep will understand that point. Though it means far more than what some people realize." Her master smirked as she opened her hand. The Vision seemed to instinctually recognize its former owner's call as it left Mona's fingers and returned to its original wielder. "Did you know that in some case's a vision can represent an individual's soul?" Her master told her.

"I've read some theories and I've take note. A lot of vision users of differing elements all seem to share similar personality quirks, usually around the time they got it. Pyro users for example are always optimistic and full of energy, while geo seems to be steadfast in their goals." Mona noted.

"And what about Hydro?" Her teacher questioned as she clutched the vision in her hands. "What do you think makes Hydro special?"

"Hydro," Mona pondered. "Initially I assumed Hydro was healing, a fair amount of hydro users can also heal greatly....but then I realized that wasn't the case." Mona explained. "Hydro is the most versatile, it's fluid, always changing and adapting to different wielders and there intentions. It can heal yes but it is also perhaps the most reactive element out there, it stuns with electro, makes dendro cores with dendro, freeze with cryo, damages with pyro, swirls with anemo and shields with geo." Mona explained. Her usage of the hydro vision as well had been radically different. She would by all means turn into water and traverse the land and sea when possible, making illusions to distract enemies and even enchanting enemies with her attack to setup others deliver devastating blows.

"Correct you are," Her teacher answered. "Hydro is versatile. It can do anything once the wielder puts there mind to it." She noted. "Believe it or not, it can even help one restore their youth." Her teacher noted. Mona's eyes seemed to widen at this. "Would you like a demonstration?" Her teacher questioned.

Mona was surprised by such a remark. It could even restore youth, but how, she wondered. Surely her master was joking right. Nevertheless Mona agreed for a demonstration if only to humour her Master. "Okay...show me." Mona told her.

"Gladly." Her master grinned. The vision started to glow brightly as water droplets started to form in the air around her, the water begun to circle around Mona and her Master as it increased. Eventually the two became surrounded by walls of water that circle around them. Mona looked on in amazement as her master continued.

Water droplets seemed to form on her master. At first Mona had thought it was going to start restoring the woman's youth but then she notice as more and more droplets formed, how her master was becoming more and more transparent. Soon rather than being healed and de-aged, it seemed like her master had started turning into water instead.

"Did you know Mona, 70% of the human body is actually water." Her Master explained as if her entire body was not being liquified. Soon the droplets started to disperse becoming one with the water surrounding them.

It was then that Mona felt it. Throughout the whole experience, her body hadn't been wet. She was being surrounded by water and she had remained dry and now she felt it. The droplets of water landing on her body. Water droplets that were different than any other. Mona knew what water was suppose to feel like. She was a hydro user and hydromancer as well. This wasn't normal water of even the elemental energy rich water of standard hydro. This water....was alive and it was seeping into her.

"Wait a second....what's going...on." Mona realized as she felt something starting to invade her body. She turned to her teacher, only to see a wicked smile on the woman's face. "You..." Mona soon realized what was happening.

"Very gifted, but oh so very slow." Mona's master muttered as the last of her body turned to water. Now fully liquified it was time for step two. Her master lunged at her, enveloping Mona's entire being within her watery body. Mona struggled to resist but it was ultimately futile in the end. Eventually her body went limp inside the hydro bubble. A few moments later the bubble collapsed, dropping Mona's body on the floor as the water dispersed and evaporated almost immediately.

Soon Mona began to stir as she regained her sense. Slowly she opened her eyes taking note of the room before getting up. She looked down at her hands, and at her chest and legs. With a smile she moved her hands to her breasts fondling with them as she moaned in pleasure. Once she was done she looked around the room taking note of the mirror at the side.

Mona walked over at the mirror taking a good look herself as if seeing her reflection for the first time. She smirked as she felt her face, watching her reflection mimic her moves, touching her lips, tracing her fingers along her cheeks. To an outside observer, it would seem that Mona was feeling her body for the first time. That's because it technically was true as the soul that now occupied Mona's body was new to it.

"Hello, I'm Mona Megistus." 'Mona' spoke with her new voice as she posed in front of the mirror. "I'm an astrologer who seeks to find the truth of this world." She told herself. Mona then giggled in joy as she flexed her arms and cat walk back and forth while still looking at the mirror. She called the vision to her person before fastening it on her back once more. She then turned around to look at the mirror once more before tapping into the powers of her vision. As water drops formed and convolged around her, 'Mona' smiled loving her new body and all the new potential it had.

"Now let's have some fun." 'Mona' smiled as she head out the room, finding a familiar care taker smiling at her. She flashed him a seductive grin as she strutted over to him, her heels clicking with each step. He didn't even say anything as leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. "Thanks for your help, love." She whispered to him.

"Anything for you, my dear."