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fandomweekly2026-05-08 02:11 pm
badly_knitted) wrote in fandomweekly2026-05-08 02:11 pm
Entry tags:
[#300] Forever (The Fantastic Journey)
Theme Prompt: #300 – Ceremony
Title: Forever
Fandom: The Fantastic Journey
Rating/Warnings: PG
Bonus: Yes.
Word Count: 1000
Summary: Meeting Gwenith had brought Varian more happiness than he’d ever imagined. They were destined to be together, forever…
Varian’s mind was in such a whirl he almost felt giddy, but not in a bad way. He’d fallen asleep the night before, among his friends, and woken this morning, following a night of strange dreams, with a sense of expectation, his heart pounding as nervous energy impelled him up and out of the cave where they’d spent the night. It was almost as if he knew somehow that his life was about to change out of all recognition; he had only to follow his instincts, let his senses guide him, and all would be revealed.
And so it was.
Everything was happening so fast, and yet how could he regret any of it? He’d never been happier, had never felt such an immediate, all-consuming connection with another person, had never even imagined such a thing was possible, and yet here she was, Gwenith, the woman of his dreams, quite literally. They were destined to be together, neither of them had the slightest doubt about that. She was his, as he was hers; they would face the future together, as husband and wife. It was fated to be so.
The only regret he had was that it would mean abandoning his travelling companions, his friends, because of course he and Gwenith would live here, among her people; it was only natural. Her people needed her, and he was sure he’d soon find his own place amongst them, but it would be sad to say goodbye to the people he’d grown to care so deeply about. He would miss them.
First, though, they would be invited to his and Gwenith’s wedding, to share in his happiness. Then, tomorrow, they would say their farewells, his friends would continue their journey, and he and his new wife would begin their lives together. The future was so bright, almost as bright as Gwenith’s golden hair, and her sweet smile.
Varian’s heart was so filled with joy that he felt he might almost burst from it, and the expressions on his friends’ faces when he told them he was getting married, to a woman he’d only just met, made him laugh out loud. Surely life could get no better than this, even if it was overshadowed by the bittersweet knowledge that by this time tomorrow, his friends would be gone.
That parting had always been inevitable anyway; it was just happening a bit sooner than any of them had expected. They’d all known from the start that when they reached Evoland, they’d be going their separate ways, back to their own times. They would be alright, they still had each other, and he knew they wouldn’t begrudge him his happiness. They would be glad for him.
The ceremony was deceptively simple. First Gwenith, and then Varian himself, wearing white robes over their clothing, entered the ceremonial chamber and approached the altar, in the sight of their friends, kneeling before it. They scooped a little of the oil feeding the flames that burned before each of them into a third receptacle, symbolically joining their flames, and… that was all there was to this first ceremony. There would be a second, private ceremony the following afternoon, at which guests were not permitted, but according to the customs of Gwenith’s people, they were now one, for all time.
The other ceremony, Varian was sure, would be nothing more than a formality, to sanctify their union before Beticus, the god revered by Gwenith’s people. Varian was not an overly religious man himself, but to be with Gwenith, he would willingly abide by the customs of her people. How could he not? She was everything, his life, his future. What more could he possibly want? Although they’d met only hours ago, she was so much a part of him, and he of her, that not being together was unthinkable.
The morning after their wedding night, Varian and Gwenith said their goodbyes to his friends. Watching them go was painful; he would never forget them, they were a cherished part of his life, but life and people moved on, that was the way of things. He was richer for having known them, but they were no longer travelling the same path. Gwenith would have let him go with them, if that had been his choice, but he belonged with her, WAS hers, now and forever. How could it be otherwise, now that he’d found her, now they were wed?
When the High Priest came for them, to tell them it was time for the Rites of Unification, Varian donned his robe again and willingly entered the temple with Gwenith. There, candles, and flames deep in a volcanic pit, struck answering glows from statues and other ornamentation, in bronze, copper, gold, and silver, tinting everything with orange and red, as if the entire cavern were aflame.
Memories tugged at him, something from the dreams he’d had the night before he met his wife, but he brushed them aside as insignificant. This one last ceremony, and once it was over, he and Gwenith could get on with their life together. Nothing else mattered.
The High Priestess greeted them, made an opening speech he scarcely listened to, as the acolytes began chanting, and he was directed to approach the sacred pit. He did so confidently, but then…
Gwenith, eyes wide with panic, was urging him to run, telling him something that made no sense, that he was to be sacrificed… What insanity was this?
The acolytes grabbed him from behind, propelling him towards the pit, and though he struggled against them, he couldn’t free himself. They were too strong, and his robe hampered his movements, sliding down, entangling his arms.
Time seemed to slow down, he could see everything with a piercing clarity, but he was powerless to change anything as Gwenith, her golden hair blazing red in the firelight, called out to him one last time before consigning herself to the flames in his place.
She was gone. There would be no forever.
The End
And so it was.
Everything was happening so fast, and yet how could he regret any of it? He’d never been happier, had never felt such an immediate, all-consuming connection with another person, had never even imagined such a thing was possible, and yet here she was, Gwenith, the woman of his dreams, quite literally. They were destined to be together, neither of them had the slightest doubt about that. She was his, as he was hers; they would face the future together, as husband and wife. It was fated to be so.
The only regret he had was that it would mean abandoning his travelling companions, his friends, because of course he and Gwenith would live here, among her people; it was only natural. Her people needed her, and he was sure he’d soon find his own place amongst them, but it would be sad to say goodbye to the people he’d grown to care so deeply about. He would miss them.
First, though, they would be invited to his and Gwenith’s wedding, to share in his happiness. Then, tomorrow, they would say their farewells, his friends would continue their journey, and he and his new wife would begin their lives together. The future was so bright, almost as bright as Gwenith’s golden hair, and her sweet smile.
Varian’s heart was so filled with joy that he felt he might almost burst from it, and the expressions on his friends’ faces when he told them he was getting married, to a woman he’d only just met, made him laugh out loud. Surely life could get no better than this, even if it was overshadowed by the bittersweet knowledge that by this time tomorrow, his friends would be gone.
That parting had always been inevitable anyway; it was just happening a bit sooner than any of them had expected. They’d all known from the start that when they reached Evoland, they’d be going their separate ways, back to their own times. They would be alright, they still had each other, and he knew they wouldn’t begrudge him his happiness. They would be glad for him.
The ceremony was deceptively simple. First Gwenith, and then Varian himself, wearing white robes over their clothing, entered the ceremonial chamber and approached the altar, in the sight of their friends, kneeling before it. They scooped a little of the oil feeding the flames that burned before each of them into a third receptacle, symbolically joining their flames, and… that was all there was to this first ceremony. There would be a second, private ceremony the following afternoon, at which guests were not permitted, but according to the customs of Gwenith’s people, they were now one, for all time.
The other ceremony, Varian was sure, would be nothing more than a formality, to sanctify their union before Beticus, the god revered by Gwenith’s people. Varian was not an overly religious man himself, but to be with Gwenith, he would willingly abide by the customs of her people. How could he not? She was everything, his life, his future. What more could he possibly want? Although they’d met only hours ago, she was so much a part of him, and he of her, that not being together was unthinkable.
The morning after their wedding night, Varian and Gwenith said their goodbyes to his friends. Watching them go was painful; he would never forget them, they were a cherished part of his life, but life and people moved on, that was the way of things. He was richer for having known them, but they were no longer travelling the same path. Gwenith would have let him go with them, if that had been his choice, but he belonged with her, WAS hers, now and forever. How could it be otherwise, now that he’d found her, now they were wed?
When the High Priest came for them, to tell them it was time for the Rites of Unification, Varian donned his robe again and willingly entered the temple with Gwenith. There, candles, and flames deep in a volcanic pit, struck answering glows from statues and other ornamentation, in bronze, copper, gold, and silver, tinting everything with orange and red, as if the entire cavern were aflame.
Memories tugged at him, something from the dreams he’d had the night before he met his wife, but he brushed them aside as insignificant. This one last ceremony, and once it was over, he and Gwenith could get on with their life together. Nothing else mattered.
The High Priestess greeted them, made an opening speech he scarcely listened to, as the acolytes began chanting, and he was directed to approach the sacred pit. He did so confidently, but then…
Gwenith, eyes wide with panic, was urging him to run, telling him something that made no sense, that he was to be sacrificed… What insanity was this?
The acolytes grabbed him from behind, propelling him towards the pit, and though he struggled against them, he couldn’t free himself. They were too strong, and his robe hampered his movements, sliding down, entangling his arms.
Time seemed to slow down, he could see everything with a piercing clarity, but he was powerless to change anything as Gwenith, her golden hair blazing red in the firelight, called out to him one last time before consigning herself to the flames in his place.
She was gone. There would be no forever.
The End