Story #2: Till we apart
Prologue: Will you remember me, Aether?
A quiet night, At the Qingyun Peak in Liyue.
A foreign Traveller from far far away is sitting was Dwelling in the Clouds, one of the highest places in Liyue. The wind up there is quite breeze and calm, a perfect place to take a nap after a long day of adventuring.
But this time it was not a pleasured one.
… 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours … passed and he was still sitting there, looking aimlessly at the sky as he raised his hand to try to reach the stars up there but it's too far of course. He used to fly all across the sky, the world, the universe...In short, he could basically reach anywhere with his golden wing but now...it's not anymore. His sorrow can be seen from his eyes to know what happened to him. Despite of him always being so cheerful to the other people and even Paimon tried to calm him down after that that but it's no use.
"Why did she join with the Abbys? What is the meaning "the truth of this world"? Why didn't you just come with me and then we could go home? After for so long we can be together yet you still go away … Why?" So many questions around him but no clear answers.
After for a long of being separated, he could finally have a chance to reunite with his sister but she just simply walked away from him again. So close yet so far away…
"If you sit here too long you might catch a cold you know" a familiar voice came out right next to him. He looked up and see a pair of amethyst eyes were also looking at him worriedly.
"Hey, Aether. I brought some food so we might can eat here" She greeted him and brought her self-made dinner to him to enjoy with.
"How did you know I'm here, Keqing ?" He asked her.
"Paimon already told me what happened and she want me to see you" She smiled and sat right next to him. "Plus, every time when you're getting into trouble, you just want to sit somewhere alone and quiet so I guess this is the only place ... also, you still haven't eaten anything yet..."
To be honest, Keqing…after such a long-time journeying together with him, she pretty much knows him a lot and he often share his personal story to her. She is the only person who can be trusted with.
Both of them were sitting there and leaning next to each other for a while, sharing their warmth... Aether feels so relaxed when Keqing is with him.
After they had done with their meal, Keqing began to speak first.
"So, you've found your sister, right?" She asked him.
"Yes, but she's just gone away…after such a long time we can finally see each other yet she just walked away from me again" Aether clenched his fit and slammed his knee...He blamed himself if he could have been faster a little bit then he would have reached her and they could have gone home together...
"At least we know she is still fine … we will find her again soon". She rested her head on his chest and patting his head try to cheer him up.
"Thanks, Keqing. We will see her soon. I've waited her this long … I can wait till I have a chance again…" Then he continued "I want to introduce you to her too and show her how beauty of Liyue and Teyvat … she will like it"
"As girlfriend?" Keqing asked him, blushed.
"As girlfriend" He smiled then patted her head "I mean more than that … we've known each other for quite a time now … every time I go out for quests … I just want to finish it quick so I can see you"
"Same here for me, I just feel so loneliness without you" She smiled.
The wind up her is so chill and peaceful…After their first encounter at the Ritual Incident, Keqing know how strong and attractive he is, when she met him at the Guizong Ballista, she knows he is a trustworthy person … After the battle with an accident God Osla, she knows he is the one who always care and protect the each other … After the Rite of Departing, she knows he is a carefree person…he had a chance to become a wealthy, powerful man in Liyue but he doesn't want anything like it … all he wants is to find is his sister. But she knows he can't do it alone so she decided to step in his life to help him.
As for Aether after his first encounter at the Ritual Incident, he knows Keqing is a beautiful, elegant woman … After the Guizong Ballista, he knows she is a kind hearted person, after his real first met she gave her own personal code to enter the Jade Palace without any doubt, she trusted him with anything and a determined person … After the battle with an accident God, he knows she is a strong woman and can handle every situation single handedly if needed … After the Rite of Departing, he knows how much she cares about him … After an offer was given, Aether just simply asked the Qixing to looking for his sister in Liyue, Keqing tell him that was unfair to them and especially for her, she said if he has looked for someone, he would has just asked her privately … and then she told him that she will join him to look for his sister. Knowing Keqing is a reliable person so he accepted her offer.
3 months later, despite of no result or any news about his sister whereabout, she always cheers him up, keeping him on track. With her help, Aether feel more confident on his journey and especially when Keqing is around with him, he always feels safe and happy. He wishes he can be with her anytime …
On her birthday she invited him to date with her, and it went so well, that was their first time showing their feeling toward each other.
"Did you remember our first date?" - Keqing asked Aether
"As it was yesterday" Aether smiled "I almost not recognized you if it not for that cat-like hair style, you look really beautiful"
" Thanks …, at first you were so former to me, I had to remind that we go here as friend, not as the Qixing … took you while to get used to it …" she chucked
Then the Lantern Festival … their relationship is growing even more …
"And you took me to a lot of places around Liyue, those were indeed very impressive, you've taken a lot of effort to do it, your dream is really becoming true"
"I want to reward myself as my hard-working for the New Liyue by showing around with you, when you said you really like this place it's the best gift to me"
"Although I'm a foreigner, not from Liyue and even not from Teyvat but you still trust me and help me with your all. I really appreciated any of it" Aether looked at her and hold her hand, his face blushed
"You are a capable person … You make up your own mind. You ask the questions everyone else is too cowardly to ask, and when you don't get an answer, you keep looking until you find one. That's why I'm really like you … I want to know more about you…" She then held his hand tight.
The moon has begun to rise and the sky is clear, today the moon is quite bright, the soft blue color of the moonlight shining everywhere. It is indeed a place to chill out.
"So, you said you're from another world, right? … No wonder you look a bit different from the other … well not too much … only your golden shiny hair and eyes though" Keqing asked him.
"Yes, most of our people are like me, we've travelled through a lot of worlds and met a lot of people of all kind … most of them are very friendly but some are quite not but they were all really interesting" Aether told her with a bit of pride about it.
"You seem like been through a lot of things … how long have you and your sister been travelled?" She asked him as her eyes full of excitement.
"We don't remember" He shook his head "But we have been witnessing a lot of things … we have seen the birth and the death of the stars… I've seen a few stars that brighted so brilliance and I still remember it today … the rise and fall of the civilizations … the beginning and the end of worlds and so on … each of our journey come up and down for us feel like a flash"
He then continued: "And somehow we ended up here, getting stuck on this world … separated from others and with my power lost I was a bit hopeless until I found Paimon, people in Teyvat and especially you … you've brought me a lot of hope back"
Keqing after heard his story, she feels really amazed about his back story, she might have a lot of knowledge but only limited in this world now seeing this whole new level of information about the other world is making her getting charmed about him even more.
But …
"I really want you to be with me forever Keqing, will you with me?" - Aether asked her.
Before Keqing was going to answer, she then realized something …
Something feels so wrong …
What is the meaning of "Forever"? ….
How to describe it? …
Can we achieve something like that? …
Is this an idea or reality? …
Can something last long like that? …
There's no clear answer for it...
Keqing looked up at the sky as she tried to look away from him. She wants to ask him one more question but she was too afraid to ask about it. Took her a lot of courage to be able to speak out to him but with an almost broken voice: "… But if one day … I'm no longer be with you anymore … will you still remember me?"
Why?
Why?
Why?
…
She tried to hold her emotion together, but her eyes are getting redder, tear started to flow out: "At first I was afraid I might be only a tiny part of your life … but my feeling for you is real … I don't know why but I'm not going to regret it … I … I … I love you"
Keqing loves him so much but now she knows she can't be with him forever…When she was a kid, she thought human's life is really a long time…now seeing his millennium's adventure to know that her kind … it's just a particle to him. How can Aether able to remember her when she is no more? … Her time with him is just like a star among billions of them in the sky.
This is so unfair …
Aether has travelled with his sister through a countless of worlds, universes…there is no meaning of time for them…he has been looked for his sister for over 500 years and can still able to stand because he knows he has been through a lot of things even longer than that … but now this…he now realized that Keqing can't live long as him. He thought that 500 years it's just like a mere second…but now, every time he's with her …it's feels like eternity. He wishes he could share his immortality to her…he wishes time could stop…
But that is impossible …
No matter what you do, no matter what you try to do you can't win the "law" of nature, it's just how it's works …
What is he going to do when she's no longer with him …?
He already had the feeling when he lost his sibling … now he had a feeling of losing someone he loved so much one day…
This is why he always don't want to have relationship too much with the other, he doesn't want to see someday his friend will passed away from age or seeing him leaving this world to another.
But this girl is different.
She cares about him too much. He can't let her go. If he would, her trust and what she believes in him would be completely broken into pieces … and that even more painful for both of them…
Because he loves her too.
Aether was shaken, his body is now trembling, he trying to clutching his fists and grinding his own teeth too to calm himself down but's it's not working. He trying to hold his watery eyes but it seems like it's going to be like a broken dam soon. He was trying to say something but he just can't… He can't lie to his emotion …
He was completely lost his words
Keqing was looking at him, the strong and carefree Aether was gone … instead she saw a weak and a broken person who needs to take care of.
Keqing then tried to calm Aether down with her broken voice: "I'm…sorry…I'm sorry…I …I didn't mean…to ask you this … I -"
Before she could complete her sentence … Aether pulled her close and hugged her tight … he's fearing that she could be disappeared anytime now.
He may can't say anything at the moment … but his action was satisfied her answer she had been looking for.
They both embraced each other and let their feeling went whatever it wants …They were crying and sobbing so much and couldn't say anything but they didn't care…there's no need to hold them back.
Because they know their answer now.
Aether was trying to collect his voice together trying to say something to Keqing, sobbing: "Please…don't leave me…please…I need you…I…I love you too, Keqing"
The same goes to Keqing, after she calmed down a bit, she said back to Aether: "I may can't replace your sister, but I swore to you that I will make you the happiest person you will ever know, no matter what happen to both of us ... time might separate us but the memory when you are together with me will live on forever"
"You're the brightest star…I've ever seen in my life…I will be with you; I promise I will make you happy too…even when the time come…the time we spend together will stay long as my life… "
After a while…they let go for some air. The moonlight reflecting their crystal-clear teary golden eyes and the pair of amethyst eyes looking at each other, they're smiling at each other with their face flushed so deep…
"We may don't live long as you, Aether…but that's make us value every moment when it lasts…The time I've spent for my dream of the New Liuye…and especially the time when I'm with you, I will treasure every of it…" Keqing said to him.
"Thanks for make me realize the one of the most important things in life…although I've gone many worlds but it seems like I still have something to learn…please take care of me"
"I will show you all the beauty of this world … or may be at least everything in Liyue … I bet you will like it … and of course we will help you find your sister too … together and by the way ..." She smiled at him and gave him a box … a Hairpin made out of precious metal and it can infuse element enegry in it.
"It might not as great as the one you gift me but I'm sure it will come in handy, it's very durable and can use as survival kit …" Keqing then put it on for him
Aether embraced her again and said "Thank you, Keqing … you have done so much for me now… I will always love you"
After they got their own conclusion, Keqing went back to her seat and pulled him next to her to listen to his story, she wants to know more about him … about his wonderful adventure, every of his story bringing something excitement to her.
"I want to enjoy your story a bit more"
"I still have a lot of stories to tell you but isn't midnight now? You need to get some sleep for working tomorrow?" Aether asked her.
"Don't worry I'm already told them I will off work tomorrow for 1 day so you don't need to worry about it" Keqing then leaned close to him to share their warmth together … "If I fall asleep … just carry me home alright …?" her softly voice whisper to his ear.
"Now it's sound like a bed time story … if you like it then" he chuckled.
"That's will be nice … I would like to hear your story often … you can come to my home if you like next time … we can share our story …" she said with her sleepy voice.
Aether nodded and he tell her about the story about a time when they were in a world where people live under the protection of an Emperor...
The Emperor had ruled the country for a long time, he gather people all around the land together … and they had built a very huge and prosperous city where everyone of their people can have a place to live. He had protected the country for millenniums … The people are very thankful and worship him like a god … many many years passed the Emperor realized that he can't protect his country forever … their time had come to an end and he had planned to step down to give his position to the person is worthy. Until one day, during his vistit he saw a young person said to him that what if one day he wasn't going to protect their land anymore. He looked at that person laughed and said that it would be up to you… And only a few years, that person had grew up and lead the people passed the Emperor's final trial with the help of two foreign traveler. The Emperor are satisfied with it and gave the country to that person and his own people to rule and he went to enjoy an ordinary normal life, watched the country became even more prosperous even without him …
"Before we go to another world … The Emperor said to us that we might have immortal life but we must not forget how to precious the moment we have right in front of us …" - Aether smiled and looked at Keqing who've already fallen asleep on his shoulder, and the bright smile on her face under the moonlight.
He then carries Keqing on his back then teleport back to her home, it was quite late now so only her assistant came out, she helped him take Keqing back to her room but somehow Keqing keep hold him tight even asleep all the way till he reached her bed.
Aether then finally can put Keqing to the bed and saw her sleeping so peacefully. He then gave the blanket and the Rex Lapis doll to her and kissed her forehead before leaving:
- Good night, Keqing …
Just before he going to leave the bed, a strong pull to his cape, Aether suddenly lost balance from that pull, fell into her bed. He felt a strong grip around his body with his face buried in softy Keqing's chest … maybe she found something to help her sleep easier beside the doll now …
Aether tried to get out of her strong grip but he's too sleepy now so he just gave up and hoped he won't get slapped tomorrow. Before he went falling into sleep, he heard Keqing's voice like a lullaby:
- I love you forever, Aether …
End
P/s: I planned to write this as short as possible but somehow turned into a wall of text so some part might get rough and OOC…rip me.
Outside note: I really want to write this quite long ago since this ship appear, because even although it's just a fic but to be "real" at some points: Keqing one day will gone because of age, Aether is completely outlive her … so let's accept it and facing it by enjoying every moment they have together ... and remember it … that's what make them special (well at least for me, unless there is other way…).
People only truly gone when they are forgotten ~
Again, thank you for your support. Until next time.