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fandomweekly2025-12-05 01:33 pm
badly_knitted) wrote in fandomweekly2025-12-05 01:33 pm
Entry tags:
[#282] Rainsong (The Fantastic Journey)
Theme Prompt: #282 – Catharsis
Title: Rainsong
Fandom: The Fantastic Journey
Rating/Warnings: PG
Bonus: No.
Word Count: 1000
Summary: Healers have their own way of dealing with the stresses and burdens of their craft.
The sun had been shining brightly when the group of travellers passed through the gateway into this zone a few hours earlier, but as they’d walked, the sky had gradually darkened, and now the first drops of rain were beginning to fall.
“Oh, great, rain, that’s all we need,” Fred grumbled. “Now we’re gonna get wet. We should find shelter, looks like it’s gonna be bad.”
“Over there.” Varian pointed, his keen eyes picking out what looked like a cave amid the jumbled rocks a couple of hundred yards away, and he led them towards it, briefly checking that it was empty before ushering the others inside.
“It isn’t much of a cave, is it?” said Willaway, looking around.
“Better than nothing,” said Fred, staring out at the rain, which was already coming down harder. “Least it’s outta the rain.”
The cave extended only perhaps fifteen feet into the rocks, more like a glorified overhang, but the floor was dry and sandy, and there was no wind, so it seemed likely to stay that way.
Stepping past the others, Varian put the bag he carried right at the back, out of the way, then proceeded to remove his boots and strip out of his shirt, before darting past his fellow travellers, out into the pouring rain, spreading his arms wide, tipping his head back so the rain fell on his face, spinning around like a compass needle seeking true north.
“What in the world does he think he’s doing?” Willaway asked, bemused.
“Gettin’ wet,” Fred replied.
“Completely drenched, more likely.”
“Maybe Varian just likes the rain.” Scott stuck his hand out of the cave. “It doesn’t feel cold. I’m going out there.” Removing his own shoes and shirt, Scott tossed them towards the back of the cave and raced out into the downpour, feeling the warm droplets soaking his hair and running down his face. “It’s kinda like taking a shower!” he called back to the other two, still sheltering from the heavy rain.
“Should we perhaps join them?” Willaway sounded a little tentative. “It might be pleasant to get clean after all that walking.”
“Suit yourself. Personally, I’d rather stay where it’s dry.”
Willaway hesitated a moment longer before following Varian’s example, talking off boots, jacket, and polo-neck sweater, although rather than plunging out into the pouring rain, he picked his way, treading carefully, occasionally squinting up at the sky.
By now, Varian was standing still, breathing deeply, arms spread, palms up, eyes closed, and head still tilted back. He seemed completely unaware of the others’ presence as he began to sing.
There were no recognisable words to the song, it seemed to be in a language none of them were familiar with, and yet it struck a chord with all of them, somehow reaching deep inside them to pluck at their emotions like the strings of a harp. Varian’s voice was strong and clear, soaring ecstatically one moment, then sinking to tones of regret the next. Every emotion seemed encompassed in the song: joy and sorrow, fear and delight, pain and comfort, despair and ecstasy, grief and contentment… It was as though he was singing out every emotion he’d felt on their journey, letting the falling rain carry it all away.
The other three remained where they were, watching and listening in wonder until the song ended and Varian sank to the wet grass, flat on his back, laughing softly. He lay there for a few minutes, getting his breath back, then scrambled to his feet, raking his hands over his curly hair, slicking excess water out of it. Walking over to join Scott and Willaway, putting a hand on each of their shoulders he grinned down at them.
He appeared somehow transformed, all the lines of strain etched into his face by their experiences in the zones they’d passed through were gone, and he looked suddenly years younger, like his soul had been washed clean by the rain and he was at peace. His smile was easy and unforced, brighter than anything Willaway had seen on their travels, and he couldn’t help but smile back. Scott was grinning too.
“You have quite a voice,” Willaway noted. “You should sing more often.”
“Perhaps,” Varian agreed. “I do feel better for it. I needed that.”
“What was that song?” Scott asked. “I didn’t understand the words, but it was like… like I could feel EVERYTHING, all at once.” He wiped at his face, brushing away tears along with the raindrops, unaware until that moment that he’d been crying, but feeling no shame or embarrassment about it. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world.
“It’s…” Varian paused as he led the other two back towards the cave, the rain still pouring around them. “Difficult to explain. It’s not so much a song, the words are essentially meaningless, more a kind of mantra I suppose. It’s a Healer’s tool, a form of meditation, something all Healers are taught shortly after we begin the second phase of our training.”
“Meditation?” Willaway looked at Varian, eyes bright with curiosity. “It doesn’t resemble any form of meditation I’ve ever heard of.”
Varian laughed. “Perhaps not, nevertheless, it has a similar calming effect. Healers can become… overburdened. What we do often takes a tremendous amount of mental and physical effort. In effect, the song is a method by which we can release our burdens, refresh and reenergise ourselves.”
“And the rain is part of that?”
“Not strictly speaking, but for myself, I find it does help, a physical cleansing to go with the spiritual.” He paused outside the cave and stretched, looked up at the sky. “The rain should stop soon. We can stay here until it does.”
“And hopefully dry off a bit.” Willaway sighed. Venturing out into the deluge might not have been the best idea.
“Ah, we’ll survive.” Scott shook his head, sending water droplets flying.
Willaway nodded. “I suppose there are worse things than getting a bit wet.”
The End
“Oh, great, rain, that’s all we need,” Fred grumbled. “Now we’re gonna get wet. We should find shelter, looks like it’s gonna be bad.”
“Over there.” Varian pointed, his keen eyes picking out what looked like a cave amid the jumbled rocks a couple of hundred yards away, and he led them towards it, briefly checking that it was empty before ushering the others inside.
“It isn’t much of a cave, is it?” said Willaway, looking around.
“Better than nothing,” said Fred, staring out at the rain, which was already coming down harder. “Least it’s outta the rain.”
The cave extended only perhaps fifteen feet into the rocks, more like a glorified overhang, but the floor was dry and sandy, and there was no wind, so it seemed likely to stay that way.
Stepping past the others, Varian put the bag he carried right at the back, out of the way, then proceeded to remove his boots and strip out of his shirt, before darting past his fellow travellers, out into the pouring rain, spreading his arms wide, tipping his head back so the rain fell on his face, spinning around like a compass needle seeking true north.
“What in the world does he think he’s doing?” Willaway asked, bemused.
“Gettin’ wet,” Fred replied.
“Completely drenched, more likely.”
“Maybe Varian just likes the rain.” Scott stuck his hand out of the cave. “It doesn’t feel cold. I’m going out there.” Removing his own shoes and shirt, Scott tossed them towards the back of the cave and raced out into the downpour, feeling the warm droplets soaking his hair and running down his face. “It’s kinda like taking a shower!” he called back to the other two, still sheltering from the heavy rain.
“Should we perhaps join them?” Willaway sounded a little tentative. “It might be pleasant to get clean after all that walking.”
“Suit yourself. Personally, I’d rather stay where it’s dry.”
Willaway hesitated a moment longer before following Varian’s example, talking off boots, jacket, and polo-neck sweater, although rather than plunging out into the pouring rain, he picked his way, treading carefully, occasionally squinting up at the sky.
By now, Varian was standing still, breathing deeply, arms spread, palms up, eyes closed, and head still tilted back. He seemed completely unaware of the others’ presence as he began to sing.
There were no recognisable words to the song, it seemed to be in a language none of them were familiar with, and yet it struck a chord with all of them, somehow reaching deep inside them to pluck at their emotions like the strings of a harp. Varian’s voice was strong and clear, soaring ecstatically one moment, then sinking to tones of regret the next. Every emotion seemed encompassed in the song: joy and sorrow, fear and delight, pain and comfort, despair and ecstasy, grief and contentment… It was as though he was singing out every emotion he’d felt on their journey, letting the falling rain carry it all away.
The other three remained where they were, watching and listening in wonder until the song ended and Varian sank to the wet grass, flat on his back, laughing softly. He lay there for a few minutes, getting his breath back, then scrambled to his feet, raking his hands over his curly hair, slicking excess water out of it. Walking over to join Scott and Willaway, putting a hand on each of their shoulders he grinned down at them.
He appeared somehow transformed, all the lines of strain etched into his face by their experiences in the zones they’d passed through were gone, and he looked suddenly years younger, like his soul had been washed clean by the rain and he was at peace. His smile was easy and unforced, brighter than anything Willaway had seen on their travels, and he couldn’t help but smile back. Scott was grinning too.
“You have quite a voice,” Willaway noted. “You should sing more often.”
“Perhaps,” Varian agreed. “I do feel better for it. I needed that.”
“What was that song?” Scott asked. “I didn’t understand the words, but it was like… like I could feel EVERYTHING, all at once.” He wiped at his face, brushing away tears along with the raindrops, unaware until that moment that he’d been crying, but feeling no shame or embarrassment about it. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world.
“It’s…” Varian paused as he led the other two back towards the cave, the rain still pouring around them. “Difficult to explain. It’s not so much a song, the words are essentially meaningless, more a kind of mantra I suppose. It’s a Healer’s tool, a form of meditation, something all Healers are taught shortly after we begin the second phase of our training.”
“Meditation?” Willaway looked at Varian, eyes bright with curiosity. “It doesn’t resemble any form of meditation I’ve ever heard of.”
Varian laughed. “Perhaps not, nevertheless, it has a similar calming effect. Healers can become… overburdened. What we do often takes a tremendous amount of mental and physical effort. In effect, the song is a method by which we can release our burdens, refresh and reenergise ourselves.”
“And the rain is part of that?”
“Not strictly speaking, but for myself, I find it does help, a physical cleansing to go with the spiritual.” He paused outside the cave and stretched, looked up at the sky. “The rain should stop soon. We can stay here until it does.”
“And hopefully dry off a bit.” Willaway sighed. Venturing out into the deluge might not have been the best idea.
“Ah, we’ll survive.” Scott shook his head, sending water droplets flying.
Willaway nodded. “I suppose there are worse things than getting a bit wet.”
The End