"Thanh, come here. I want to show you something."

The little girl Thanh followed her mother, Quyên outside to the front of their house.

Thanh gasped. "Wow! A paper lantern!"

The paper lantern was a round paper sphere with an opening attached to a stick.

Thanh carefully held the lantern's stick with both hands.

Quyên smiled. "Yes, Thanh! I held one as a child back in Vietnam for Tết Trung Thu![1]"

"Tết Trung Thu? Is that why everyone's been eating mooncakes?"

"Yes. Everyone except you, Thanh."

Thanh pouted. "I don't like how the mooncakes taste!"

Quyên laughed. "They're not sweet enough for you?"

"Nope!"

Thanh looked at the inside of the lantern. A candle shone brightly in the middle, illuminating the lantern. She marveled at the lantern's beautiful designs on the paper too.

"This is so cool! Thank you, Mẹ! I love you!"

Quyên hugged Thanh. "I love you too!"

Mother and daughter walked around with the lantern and looked up at the sky.

The full moon was bright that night.

"Hurry, Chun-ge! They're going to run out of mooncakes!"

"Wei Ying! Slow down! You gotta be careful in this crowd!" Pan Wukun shouted as she rushed after him.

It was the Mid-Autumn Festival[2] in Gusu.

The guest disciples headed out to Gusu City to join in the festivities.

And Wei Wuxian was trying to beat the mooncake rush before they sold out.

So he was devastated when the shopkeeper gave him the bad news that he had failed his mission.

Wei Wuxian sank to his knees. "Noooooooo."

Pan Wukun patted Wei Wuxian's back comfortingly.

A pair of white boots stopped in front of them. They looked up to see Lan Wangji, holding a box of mooncakes in one hand. "For us."

Wei Wuxian cheered. "Thanks, Lan Zhan! You're so dependable!"

"Mn."

Wei Wuxian grabbed Pan Wukun and Lan Wangji by their wrists. "Come on! Let's go meet with everyone else!" He pulled them along through the crowd.

Pan Wukun was unsurprised at Wei Wuxian's overly familiar touch. He'd been grabbing her hands and wrists a lot lately.

Lan Wangji's heart raced at the feeling of his wrist in Wei Wuxian's grasp.

They gathered with the other guest disciples. Everyone sat down in an open field just outside Gusu City with an unobscured view of the full moon.

Jiang Cheng waved at Wei Wuxian. "Wei Wuxian! Over here!"

Jiang Yanli sat next to Jiang Cheng and waved at Wei Wuxian too. Earlier, she had insisted that Wei Wuxian go out with Lan Wangji and Pan Wukun. "A-Xian. You will still go to the Mid-Autumn Festival with me and A-Cheng every year after this. Who knows when you'll be able to spend it with Lan Wangji and Pan Wukun again?"

Wei Wuxian led Pan Wukun and Lan Wangji over to Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli.

Lan Wangji passed out mooncakes to Wei Wuxian and Pan Wukun.

So this is what Ancient Chinese mooncakes taste like, Pan Wukun thought. They tasted alright, she supposed. Nothing special. She swore she could hear the clicking tongues and disapproval of her fellow Asians about how her taste buds must be faulty. She had to admit that perhaps she still hadn't found the right mooncake flavor yet.

"Chun-ge! Chun-ge!" Wei Wuxian sat closer to Pan Wukun. "I've heard that the Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in Nanyue too! What's it like?"

Pan Wukun remembered what her mother used to tell her. "Nearly the same as here. The children run around with lanterns and everyone eats moon cakes. But we have our own folk tales about the moon."

"So Nanyue has its own legends surrounding the moon?" Qin Su asked, interest sparking in her eyes.

Everyone gathered in a circle around Pan Wukun.

"It's way too late into the night for Book Club," Pan Wukun joked.

"But you're not reading a book!" Wei Wuxian shouted.

"That is true!" Pan Wukun admitted.

She told everyone the Vietnamese folk tale about Chú Cuội, the Man on the Moon.[3]

Wei Wuxian laughed. "Wait. His wife pissed on the tree?"

"Yup. But in less crude versions, it was dirty dishwater."

"So Cuội-shushu[4] is trapped on the moon forever and unable to return to Earth?" Jiang Yanli asked with a sad expression.

"Yes…it's quite a depressing ending."

Pan Wukun talked about the moon goddesses next. "The people of Nanyue also worship Chang'e[5]. But we call her by a different name, Hằng Nga. Nanyue has its own moon goddess too, Trăng Chim[6]. I'm guessing the two of them probably share a residence and work together to maintain the harmony of the moon."

Wei Wuxian tilted his head in thought. "…Maybe the rabbits, Trăng Chim, and Chang'e are keeping Cuội-shushu company." He looked over at Jiang Yanli, glad to see a small smile on her face.

Pan Wukun's eyes softened. "Yes…that's a happier ending to his story. Just one big moon family…"

Like Chú Cuội, Pan Wukun too was trapped far away from home. Was she doomed to never return like him? Was the best she could have her family in Xuhou without any hope of seeing her family from her world again?

Pan Wukun held the lantern out in front of her, illuminating the forest path. She had bought it in Gusu City earlier after she finished spending time with the other guest disciples.

She walked alone in solitude for quiet reflection.

"Thanh, Vietnamese children light their lanterns during Tết Trung Thu to help guide Chú Cuội home."

Pan Wukun sighed. "I could really use some guidance, Mẹ. But I'm the only one holding this lantern. How am I supposed to guide myself home?"

Footsteps came from behind Pan Wukun.

…So much for quiet reflection.

She turned around to see Lan Wangji holding a lantern. "Lan-er-gong-uh-! Lan Zhan! What brings you out here?"

Little Carrot and Snowball's heads popped out of Lan Wangji's collar. "The rabbits led me here."

Little Carrot hopped down and nuzzled his head against Pan Wukun's leg.

Pan Wukun bent down to pet his head.

Barely beyond the edges of the lanterns' lights, a shadow dashed.

Pan Wukun and Lan Wangji jumped in alarm.

"What was that?!" Pan Wukun cried.

She and Lan Wangji turned their lanterns to shine where the shadow had run.

Finally able to see the source of the shadow, they saw a gray rabbit sitting silently.

Little Carrot honked happily and rushed up to the gray rabbit. He cuddled up against it.

The gray rabbit looked exasperated but it did not push Little Carrot away.

Snowball hopped out of Lan Wangji's collar and joined the other rabbits.

Pan Wukun smiled. "It seems that Little Carrot and Snowball have made a new friend!"

Lan Wangji approached the gray rabbit slowly and carefully. Little Carrot and Snowball assured the gray rabbit that he meant no harm.

Lan Wangji gently lifted the gray rabbit to look at its underside. "A female rabbit…"

"So what should we name her? Wei Ying named Little Carrot while I named Snowball. It's your turn, Lan Zhan."

"Dusk."

"Why?"

"Because of the color of her fur. And we found her at night."

Pan Wukun petted Dusk, who contentedly leaned into her touch. "A pleasure to meet you, Dusk."

Pan Wukun and Lan Wangji quietly walked with their lanterns together. The rabbits followed close beside them.

It was rare for Pan Wukun to be alone with Lan Wangji. So she decided to ask the question that had been bothering her for a while.

"Lan Zhan…"

Lan Wangji turned back to look back at Pan Wukun.

"Are we…are we friends now?"

For a long moment, Lan Wangji stared at Pan Wukun, as if scrutinizing the depths of her soul.

Finally, Lan Wangji nodded slowly. "Mn."

Pan Wukun couldn't help the smile that spread over her face. Thank goodness she was seen favorably by Lan Wangji! And he considered her a friend too?! This was-this was unbelievable!

Lan Wangji felt happy to see Pan Wukun happy. He pointed his lantern at the path ahead. "Wei Ying said he wanted to meet us on a rooftop for moon gazing."

Pan Wukun nodded. "Right! Let's go!"

"Mn. Together."

Pan Wukun picked up Little Carrot and Dusk while Lan Wangji carried Snowball.

Reaching the building where Wei Wuxian was, he waved down at them from the roof. "Hey! About time you two showed up!"

Pan Wukun and Lan Wangji jumped high to join him. Little Carrot and Dusk sat on Pan Wukun's lap while Snowball sat on Lan Wangji's.

"Isn't this great, Lan Zhan? We have Chun-ge and the rabbits with us this time!" Wei Wuxian said.

"'This time'?" Pan Wukun asked.

"A while ago, Lan Zhan and I admired the moon's beauty together! It was the first time we became friends!"

Lan Wangji nodded.

Pan Wukun understood. So that was how Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji reconciled after their fight. She silently thanked Hằng Nga and Trăng Chim. Operation: Wangxian Damage Control was a success! "I'm glad to know things have worked out between you two."

Wei Wuxian noticed Dusk. "Oh? Is that a new rabbit friend I see?"

"Her name is Dusk," Lan Wangji said.

"Lan Zhan named her that because her fur is gray and we found her at night," Pan Wukun explained.

Wei Wuxian laughed. "Of course, Lan Zhan would come up with the most poetic name!"

Lan Wangji considered himself lucky that no one noticed the shade of pink on his ears because it was night.

Dusk stared up at Wei Wuxian curiously and moved to sit on his lap. "Look! Look! Dusk wants to get to know me too!" He cooed at Dusk about how adorable she was.

Now all three cultivators had a rabbit on their lap to pet.

Lan Wangji glanced over at Pan Wukun and asked, "Why were you walking around alone with that lantern earlier, Pan Chun?"

For a moment, Pan Wukun went quiet. She turned her head away. The only person she ever told about her family was Pan Heng. But…she could trust Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. "…My mother made a paper lantern for me to hold once as a child during the Mid-Autumn Festival years ago. Tonight made me think of her."

"Your mother? She must be so proud to have birthed a man with such good looks! I'd love to meet her someday! How is she?" Wei Wuxian asked.

"…My mother passed away a long time ago."

Wei Wuxian's face fell. "Oh. I'm-I'm sorry, Chun-ge! I shouldn't have asked!"

"No. It's alright, Wei Ying. I miss her but I've had time to heal. My father is still alive, waiting at home for me."

"Then I would love to meet your father one day! Tell him how noble his son is!" Wei Wuxian smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

Lan Wangji thought about how he and Pan Wukun had similar circumstances, having a dead mother and a living father.

"Will you be going back to Nanyue someday?" Lan Wangji asked.

Pan Wukun thought that Lan Wangji almost sounded sad. But in the end, she had to go back home. She had to. "Yes, I will."

Lan Wangji remained silent while Wei Wuxian was only able to say, "…Oh."

Nanyue was so far away so Wei Wuxian wasn't going to be able to visit Pan Wukun much. And Wei Wuxian was going to have to leave Lan Wangji too once his studies at the Cloud Recesses ended.

Wei Wuxian wanted the three of them to spend as much time together before their inevitable separation.

"Don't worry, Chun-ge! Lan Zhan and I will visit you in Nanyue whenever we can!" Wei Wuxian said.

"Thank you…" Pan Wukun said. It was all she could say. Where she was going, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji would not be able to follow.

Wei Wuxian wrapped an arm around Pan Wukun's shoulder and his other arm around Lan Wangji's shoulder, surprising them. "Let's enjoy the moon together tonight!"

"Ok," both Pan Wukun and Lan Wangji said. Wei Wuxian chuckled and let go.

Lan Wangji wished he could stop feeling his ears heat up…

Little Carrot, Snowball, and Dusk sat close to each other. They looked up at the moon along with the three cultivators.

Looking up at the moon, Pan Wukun could still picture the outline of a man, Chú Cuội, sitting underneath a tree. She imagined him petting a rabbit on his lap and a swan resting next to him so he wouldn't be alone.

Even here in another world, the moon was still as beautiful as in her world…

I was only doing frequent updates for Spring Break. So now it'll take some time (at least 2 months) until the next update. Stay tuned!

Glossary
1. Tết Trung Thu: What the Vietnamese call the Mid-Autumn Festival.

2. The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a harvest festival celebrated in Chinese culture. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night, corresponding to mid-September to early October of the Gregorian calendar.

3. Chú Cuội: A Vietnamese folktale about a woodcutter named Cuội who finds a banyan tree with leaves that has the power to revive the dead. The tree would only stay planted in the earth if it received pure water. His wife accidentally dirtied the tree (through dirty water or urine depending on the version), making it fly up to the heavens. Cuội grabbed onto its roots trying to keep the tree from leaving as it flew up to the moon. So now he lives on the moon and sits underneath the tree.

Chú: "Uncle" in Vietnamese. Could be father's younger brother or a man who's a little younger than one's parent, like their "little brother".

4. Shushu: "Uncle" in Chinese, specifically Father's younger brother or parents' younger/same-age male friends or colleagues.

5. Chang'e: the Chinese goddess of the moon.

6. Trăng Chim: the Vietnamese goddess of the moon. She is able to transform into a swan.

A/N: My family tends to buy Kam Wah moon cakes.
I don't really like them. The taste isn't for me.
I really want to try mooncake ice cream one day.

I feel very sad that I can't find a Percy Jackson-esque urban fantasy or any novels involving the Vietnamese pantheon. Our thunder god, Thiên Lôi, literally has two axes like how Thor has a hammer! If someone has found any, please share. Or if someone is planning to make this kind of story (yes, even you, the person who is reading this fanfic), please share. Please share even if the story is only in Vietnamese. I'll manage somehow.

I went to an exhibit about Asian comics recently and was happy to see truyện tranh (Vietnamese comics) mentioned. It was only twice though and the only work on display was Long Thần Tướng (Holy Dragon Imperator). But better than nothing!

I also found Dragon Ball Z Reese's Puffs Cereal. Laughed so hard at Goku holding a spoon on a cereal box.

I drew a picture of Little Carrot and Dusk back in March. You can find it on my AO3, Wattpad, Quotev, or Tumblr.