| SPOILER WARNING! This article contains spoilers from Archon Quest Chapter V |
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- She's like a little sister to me, you know? She's already so talented, she just needs that one, decisive win to convince her of it. And I have a feeling this is the one. This could be the win that finally gives her that confidence!
- — Mualani to Traveler and Paimon, regarding Kachina
KaLani is the friend ship between Kachina and Mualani from the Genshin Impact fandom.
Canon[]
Mualani and Kachina are both characters from Natlan, hailing from their respective tribes: the People of the Springs and the Children of Echoes. They are also both Ancient Name bearers, with Mualani bearing the name "Umoja", and Kachina bearing the name "Uthabiti".
In their voice-overs about eachother, Mualani deems Kachina to be gentle and kind, but also says she lacks confidence. She says she has made it her "personal mission" to encourage her and share her strengths. Kachina shares that Mualani was her first good friend and that she has never met anyone as sweet as her.
Natlan Archon Quest[]
Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn[]
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After Traveler and Paimon meet Kachina, she takes them to the Stadium of the Sacred Flame. As they arrive, Kachina states Kinich and Mualani were supposed to be there as well, and wonders if they haven't arrived yet. Just then, Ajaw appears and scolds Kachina for taking too long. Kinich flicks him away with his hand, and Mualani appears after him. Kachina expresses her excitement upon seeing Mualani, who seems pleased Kachina made new friends. Mualani then conveys her concern Kachina had gotten into trouble on the way to the stadium. Kinich asks Kachina where her teammates for the Pilgrimage are. She responds by saying they had left her for a new team, so they could have a better chance of winning. Mualani tells Kachina she is putting too much pressure on herself, as she is only lacking confidence, not strength. She also mentions Kachina was close to fighting in the Night Warden Wars the last Pilgrimage.
Before everyone goes to register for the competition, Mualani makes sure Kachina is not planning on competing alone. She suggests asking if Traveler and Paimon could compete too, or letting Kinich take her former team so she could join Kachina's. Kinich reluctantly agrees, leaving Mualani and Kachina as a team of two. Kachina is worried she may just be dragging Mualani down, but Mualani is confident they will be victorious together. Everyone settles on the plan, so Mualani goes to break the news to her former teammates. While everyone waits for Mualani, Kachina tells Traveler and Paimon about the tribes of Natlan. She begins to talk about the People of the Springs, Mualani's tribe, just as she comes back. Everyone then heads to the register desk, and then to the Weary Inn for a meal.
As everyone sits down at the table, Mualani senses Kachina's anxiety for the competition. Kachina confides she feels the need to get stronger, and prove she is not trying to avoid the Night Warden Wars. Mualani reassures her she will be side by side with Kachina the entire time, urging her to not listen to the opinion of others. Kachina continues doubting her herself, and Mualani continues attempting to comfort her by her praise. Eventually, Kachina tears up and tells Mualani she is the best. Now cheered up, Kachina thanks everyone for their support and sets off to get drinks. As Mualani acknowledges and praises Kachina's talent, she expresses her hope that one victory in the competition could help Kachina gain confidence in herself. Soon after, Kachina comes back with drinks, feeling much more confident. She heads out to excercise in preparation of the Pilgrimage, with Mualani tagging along as well.
At nighttime, Traveler and Paimon go out to look for Kachina, and spot her talking to Mualani. Paimon waves to Kachina, and she explains the two of them had just finished training together. Traveler offers to give Kachina advice to get stronger, in return for her introducing them to Natlan. This makes Mualani remark that Traveler and Paimon are exactly like Kachina described. Traveler then tells Kachina that "observation is key" as their word of advice. Kachina is confused at first, but eventually understands it means "having the strength to win is just as important as knowing the right strategy". Mualani compliments her understanding, and then explains Traveler's words further. After thinking it over a bit, Kachina asks Mualani to stay with her longer so she can train. If the player talks to the two again, a conversation between them will play. Kachina worriedly asks Mualani if she is keeping her up, so Mualani assures her she has lots of energy.
The next day, everyone meets up in the stadium. Mualani greets Traveler and Paimon, happy to see no one overslept. Ajaw starts to rant that Mualani only made it because he was there to wake her up, causing Kachina to tell him not to be so loud. Mualani jokingly says Ajaw will be to blame if Kachina doesn't do well at the Pilgrimage. As everyone makes sure they are prepared, the Pilgrimage is announced to begin. Before leaving, Mualani informs Traveler and Paimon they should be able to see her and Kachina from the stands, and they are counting on them to cheer her and Kachina on.
After the first team stage is explained, Mavuika announces that the Pilgrimage has officially begun. Mualani and Kachina board a hot-air balloon together, ending up in a remotely quiet place. The former observes their surroundings, and decides which way they should head. Kachina tells Mualani she can lead the way. As they head forward, Mualani reminds Kachina to not hesitate and keep her energy up. With combined effort, the two search for three towers with Contending Sparks, defeating other Pilgrimage competitors and monsters along the way. They do relatively well, quickly getting ahead of other teams. After managing to collect two, Mualani and Kachina are faced with a tall mountain they must climb to get to the third tower. While Mualani worries it will be difficult to reach the top, Kachina is confident they will be able to make it. She uses her Turbo Twirly to help both of them navigate up the mountain, Mualani complimenting her tactic. Upon arriving at the top, the two notice the tower is empty, resulting in them having to find yet another area.
They eventually find the last Contending Spark they need, and begin heading back to the Stadium together. On the way, Kachina notices there is not much time left for the stage. Mualani spots a Spiritway nearby, proposing they can use it to get back. She tells Kachina to grab onto her while riding it, the latter thanking her for her help. Mualani responds by asking Kachina why is expressing gratitude when they worked together as a team, reminding her to have faith in herself.
Quotes[]
- Main article: KaLani/Quotes
Fanon[]
KaLani quickly gained popularity for their wholesome, friendly interactions in the Natlan Archon Quest. The first few parts were centered around Kachina's long-time goal to win the Pilgrimage, and therefore dove into her bond with Mualani as well. This helped boost the popularity of their friendship, since it displayed how close they were. The main factor gaining the two attention was Mualani always making sure to encourage Kachina when she was feeling doubtful, which fans found wholesome. They are seen bonding and expressing care for each other in numerous cutscenes, giving fans a thorough understanding of their relationship.
Many people see their bond as sisterly, especially with Mualani directly mentioning Kachina was like a little sister to her. This in-game statement has also reduced the popularity of KaLani as a romantic femslash ship, but the romantic variant has some popularity in the Eastern community.
While the ship has decent popularity in terms of fan art, KaLani is relatively small on AO3 with only 20+ works. It tends to get overshadowed by Kinilani, a popular romantic ship for Mualani with many more written works.
Fandom[]
- FAN FICTION
- Kachina & Mualani tag on AO3
- TIKTOK
- Mualani and Kachina tag on TikTok
- Kachina and Mualani tag on TikTok
- Kachina and Mualani posts on Twitter
Trivia[]
- Kachina was one of the 4-stars featured on Mualani's first banner run.
- Kachina and Mualani both have dancing idle animations.
Gallery[]
- Main article: KaLani/Gallery
Variations[]
- Ancient Name Bearers refers to the ship between the two, Kinich, Chasca, Iansan, Mavuika, Ororon, and Xilonen
- Natlan Trio refers to the ship between the two and Kinich
