As the sun rose, Aether opened his eyes and woke up. "This is the last day I'm going to spend with Keqing," he said, as he reflected on his experiences during the festival. After a while, he left his room and went to the main hall, where he saw Keqing cooking breakfast. "Oh right, our cooking competition." He thought, as he greeted Keqing.
"Morning, Keqing! Is your cooking going well?" Keqing was surprised by the sudden greeting, saying "Good morning, Aether. Yes, it is! I'm almost done, so get ready. Like I said yesterday, you won't be disappointed." "Alright then. Good luck!"
After ten minutes, Keqing finished cooking. As she placed the dishes she cooked on the table, the two sat down and started eating. Aether was the first to comment on the taste, saying "Yep, this meal is one I'll never forget. I can truly tell that you worked hard on this breakfast because it tastes amazing!" "Thanks, Aether!" Keqing said, extremely happy that Aether loved the meal. Paimon also ate a lot and loved the food.
Since they were still having a cooking competition, they started thinking about who made the better breakfast. Eventually, after realizing that they couldn't decide, they agreed to call the competition a draw and have another cooking competition sometime. With breakfast finished, they greeted Tubby and left the Serenitea Pot.
When they went outside, they found a place to sit first, as they had no idea what to do because they had pretty much experienced most of what the Moonchase Festival had to offer. Despite this, Keqing had an idea. "Hey Aether, do you wanna try playing a dice game?" "A dice game? Sure! What are the rules?" "It's actually quite simple. You must roll six dice in a bowl, and based on the combination you rolled, you can get different rewards. To get the grand prize, you have to roll five of any number or roll four 4-faces." Keqing explained. "Oh, seems interesting. Let's play." Aether said as the two of them went over to the area.
Once they paid and signed their names, they started rolling the dice as a few more people lined up. Aether went first, and while he almost won the grand prize because he had already rolled four sixes, his last dice was a one, which made him end up getting the fourth-place prize. After a few people took turns, Keqing rolled the dice. Unfortunately, she was only able to roll three 4-faces, which gave her the third-place prize. However...
"What did you get, Keqing?" "I won a coupon for a free room with one bed in Wangshu Inn." "Oh, that's nice!" "I'll keep it. While I don't need it right now, I figure it could be useful in the future." "Yeah, I agree." Aether said, daydreaming about what it would be like to spend a day with Keqing in a hotel.
As he daydreamed, a group of four people approached him.
"Hi Aether!" An energetic voice called out. Aether looked up upon hearing this, and saw Amber, Kaeya, and Lisa. "Oh, didn't expect to see you guys here! Are you also celebrating the Moonchase Festival?" "Yes, we are!" Amber said. "The main reason we came here though was because Jean had a meeting with the Qixing. She wanted to talk about Mondstadt and Liyue relations, and decided that it would be a good idea to " Lisa added.
"I do remember that being on our schedule this week... Oh, sorry, I forgot to introduce myself! My name's Keqing, and I'm the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing. I'm in charge of real estate and livelihood management for Liyue." Keqing explained, and once they shook hands with each other, Aether gave them the gifts he bought for the Knights of Favonius. He also told them to give his gifts to Albedo and Sucrose, who had since returned to Mondstadt, because he forgot to do so the previous day.
Aether and Keqing agreed to show them around Liyue, and after Kaeya asked them about a good place to have lunch, they all went to Wanmin Restaurant, where Chef Mao was greeting customers. Xiangling, who had just finished gathering ingredients, greeted the group. They all enjoyed the meal, and once they finished, they split up. Aether and Paimon accompanied Kaeya and showed him around Liyue's port and the areas nearby, while Keqing, Amber, and Lisa walked around the city and talked about being responsible for protecting and helping a nation. They eventually met up to do some shopping, and once that was done, they settled down in an area nearby and shared their experiences.
As they talked, Amber looked at the time. Giving a signal to the other knights, she explained to Aether and Keqing that Jean's meeting was over, and they had to go. They waved goodbye to each other, and the group walked towards Liyue's main entrance.
"That was quite fun!" Aether remarked. "Yes, it definitely was." They seemingly had nothing else to do, but silently, they both hoped they wouldn't end their memories of the Moonchase Festival right there. Thankfully, Keqing realized something. "I just realized that we never actually went on a walk together a few days ago because you helped me with work. I'm so sorry, but let's do it now, shall we?" "Oh, it's ok. Sure!" Aether replied, nodding in agreement.
Their walk through the harbor was rather peaceful. Since they didn't have an opportunity to do so, they talked to each other about what they bought when they went shopping two days ago. Keqing mentioned that she bought things from a calendar to a Liyue Millenial board, while Aether explained that he chose to only buy a few things such as a change of clothes and a few supplies that he could use on his travels.
Among many topics, they also discussed their thoughts on Liyue's history, and talked about how the adepti were adjusting to the current state of Liyue.
At one point, it started raining. Keqing had brought an umbrella, which she decided to share with Aether. While the situation was a bit embarrassing, they both thought that it was quite romantic. Eventually, the rain stopped, and as they placed the small umbrella back in its case, Keqing thought she saw a familiar gold and white dress.
As they reached the end of the area they planned to walk through, Aether asked Keqing about how the Qixing were able to overcome the loss of the Jade Chamber, and she explained that it was rather easy. "First, we had backup copies of important documents stored there. We also had an extra meeting room in Yujing Terrace, which we used for meetings where we usually went to the Jade Chamber." They both enjoyed their small conversations, and learned a lot about each other's thoughts regarding certain things.
Finally, as the sun set over the beautiful harbor, the pair said their goodbyes. As Aether walked to an open area, ready to settle into his Serenitea Pot, Keqing went to Yujing Terrace to report back to Ningguang. As she walked into the Tianquan's temporary office, she heard Ningguang saying "Hello, Keqing! Did you enjoy the break? "Yes, I did."
"Well then, looks like you got to relax during this festival." "Yeah, I was able to." Keqing replied, nodding. "You've been really working hard ever since we sacrificed the Jade Chamber, after all. I trust, then, that you enjoyed your time with our city's hero." Keqing heard her say this in a teasing tone, and she then immediately replied "Yes, definitely… wait, how did you know that I spent the Moonchase Festival with him?" "Well, when you released those lanterns together at the ceremony yesterday, people took notice. From my sources, it appears that you and the traveler are now the talk of the tow-" Ningguang was cut off by Keqing, who said "Ningguang! Please, this is quite embarrassing!" She then replied "Haha, I merely jest. Go to the secretaries and Ganyu, I'm sure they would love to see you back.
That Tianquan, Keqing thought. Hardworking, yes, but as annoying as ever. At this point, the purple-haired girl was as red as a tomato. Ever since he helped the Qixing and the adepti with the Osial threat and the attack of the Fatui, she developed an admiration for Aether. However, she had just thought of him as someone who was nice to be with until the day they thwarted the Abyss Order's plot to attack Liyue Harbor itself. From then on, her feelings just kept growing until last night, when they released those lanterns. Since then, every time she talked with Aether or thought about him, her heart started pounding as she was repeatedly reminded of that time she fell asleep on his shoulder, the warm feeling she had when Aether surprised her with the mooncake, and all of the events that happened between them over this year's Moonchase Festival. As she walked to her office, she suddenly made up her mind. The next time she saw Aether, she would tell him about her thoughts.
"Hello, all of you. How's work been recently?" The four people waiting in the room greeted Keqing, and the 3 secretaries explained to the Yuheng that while the "two people per day" strategy, combined with Huixin and Ganyu's occasional help, has helped them manage her work better, they still felt tired. Keqing then encouraged them to take a rest. Before she left, Ganyu said "Oh, before you go, I just want to thank you and Aether for accompanying Yaoyao yesterday! She told me all about it, and she said that she wanted to accompany you two again." "You're welcome, Ganyu! Aether and I definitely enjoyed our time with her, she's a great assistant." After they wished each other a good night, she headed to her house to rest herself for the night.
Aether had entered his Serenitea Pot once again. While this "home" was a very comfortable sub-space, all he could think about as he tried to sleep were those five days he had spent enjoying the Moonchase Festival, with Keqing, no less.
Sure, he could have spent the festival alone with Paimon and met people as they went on, but the Moonchase Festival was a time for people to be together; spending most of it alone wouldn't be the best way to experience this celebration. As Aether went to his bed, Paimon appeared suddenly. "Something on your mind?" "Yes, Paimon." "What is it, Aether?" "The Moonchase Festival… I wish I could go back and experience it again." "Oh, so that's what this is about. If you really want to spend more time with the Yuheng, just go ask her if she can accompany you when she's free! It won't hurt, right?" "No, Paimon, it's not like that! Besides, she's probably left Yujing Terrace now."
But eventually, he realized that Paimon was probably right, and went outside to say a few words to Keqing.
And suddenly, as she left the pavilion and as Aether left the Serenitea Pot to go to Keqing, they both walked to each other, and in an instant, they spotted each other. "Keqing, can I say something to you?" Aether said. But as he was going to express his longing to experience the Moonchase Festival once more, and possibly reveal his true feelings, she ran over to him.
Keqing could have thought it over more. She could have carefully selected the words she was going to say, and how to say them. However, her emotions got the best of her, and without thinking, she immediately ran over to Aether and hugged him tight, never wanting to let go. "Look, I'll just get straight to the point here. I like you. A lot."
Aether was taken aback by this sudden confession. Throughout the Moonchase Festival, he had been trying his best to not just say what he was feeling to her out of the blue, and yet right after the festival concluded, he was the one who was getting confessed to. Ever since he met Keqing, he had developed a huge crush on her. He admired how the Yuheng relied on her own skill and hard work to solve problems instead of asking the gods to guide her. Of course, being his guide and travelling companion, Paimon knew of this for a while now. After all, she doesn't usually joke about people being "lovebirds" or something like that.
For a while, they both just stood there, taking it all in. Then, Aether spoke first.
"Keqing, I like you too."
"Really, Aether?" Keqing asked.
"Yes, but before I say anything, I think we should go to an area where less people could see us. You are the Yuheng after all, so I wouldn't want anyone else to hear what I'm going to say."
"Alright. Where do you suggest we go?"
"I think we could rent a boat and sail for a while."
The scenery was breathtaking, to say the least. Many stars shined brightly in the sky, reminding Keqing and Aether of the time they spent stargazing together.
As they went inside the small boat and made themselves comfortable, they both thought about the situation. Although they knew that their feelings were mutual, they had no idea what to say to each other. Eventually, Aether remembered the poem he had written for Keqing, which he had kept in his bag ever since he wrote it. He retrieved the poem from his bag and gave it to Keqing as he looked into her eyes.
"Keqing, I want you to read this." Aether said, his heart beating fast. "I wrote this poem a few days ago. It will tell you about… my true feelings."
Keqing unfolded the paper, and as she read the poem, she felt like she was in a dream.
"Aether…" "Last night, I had a dream about the two of us, and as I read that poem, I thought that maybe it wouldn't be so bad if that dream did come true. So, Aether, now that we know about our feelings for each other…" "Yes?"
"Do you want to turn our dreams into reality?" Aether nodded, blushing.
Then, slowly, their lips met. Aether and Keqing both enjoyed every moment of their kiss. They both wanted this moment to last forever and knew that this night would be one they would remember for the rest of their lives. After a few minutes, they slowly pulled away and embraced each other under the moonlight.
"I love you, Aether."
"I love you too, Keqing. I truly promise to stay by your side, always."
"Well, looks like this is a happy ending for Aether and Keqing!" Paimon said, smiling. They stayed there right beside each other for a while, then once they left the boat, the couple said their goodbyes. Both of them went back home, looking forward to the next time they would see each other.
After all, they made a promise. Even though the five days they spent in each other's company had ended, they knew in their hearts that they would still be together.
No matter what.
A/N: So that's it for Moonchase! I hope this fanfic was still an enjoyable read even though the real Moonchase Festival has probably already started for you.
Feel free to leave your thoughts on this alternate version of the Moonchase Festival in the reviews/comments section, and until next time,
~The Pokemon Troll