![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mimi_sardiniaI got it into my head to write a christmas fic - but given the only fandom I write for (FFVIII - and nominally FFVII) christmas doesn't fit (please to be seeing my rant about that) so it's a bit more a generic Midwinter festival fic.
I really don't know, I think it's slightly cheesy. There's also mention of some of my finalised GF lineup for Guardianverse for anyone to guess at the identities of those mentioned.
Anyway...
Midwinter
Midwinter.
A festival for saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming in the new year.
Griever had known even as far back as his human years that the festival had originated from Trabia, and Shiva was always recognised as the patron goddess of it, but it was only after his transition that he found the extent of it's history.
Shiva, the icy Sorceress Queen of Trabia from further back than current historical records reached, had ruled not just Trabia but a great deal of Esthar too and under her empire Midwinter became widely celebrated.
Now Griever would stand witness to a once in a lifetime event - Midwinter witnessed by every Guardian Force - junctioned or not.
Squall's friends were acting as junction to all the guardians that cared to be so joined to a human - Griever himself junctioned to his younger self, along with the guest of honour, the ice Guardian herself. The others had junctioned as per their preferences, while those who didn't care for junctioning had answered other summons.
Snow fell over Balamb Garden - something not common to the island, but Shiva's power called it to give the festival the right feel. Such a trick was used every year, but it was always appreciated, especially by students who can from warmer areas.
The field was quite well packed, not just with students but also with dignitaries and family members who could make it. For the last few years the visible participation of the Guardians in Balamb's Midwinter festivies had drawn more and more of a crowd and forcing the festival to be transferred from Garden's Quad to the plains, simply for the space needed.
Griever stood slightly straighter as Quistis stepped up to the stage, quiet falling over the crowd as the true Midwinter Ritual started.
"We come here this night, at the dead of winter, when all is cold and bleak, not to mourn, but to celebrate." Quistis' words were formal - a ceremonial speech given at every Midwinter. "We celebrate because even in the cold, warmth still lives, waiting to be reborn."
With that statement Squall, from his place on the stage behind Quistis, held out his hand and Shiva, already waiting spun in a dance into the widening empty circle amongst the people attending, dazzling them with her cold ethereal beauty.
"As winter dances, spring awaits to reborn, with the new year it rises again like the great Fire Bird."
On the other side of Quistis stood Selphie, who in a mirror of Squall's move, flung out an arm. Unlike before however, Selphie's hand was not empty, a bright orange feather fluttering from her hand and disappearing in a small flame.
Flames started to spring from the ground, tracking an outline that chased Shiva's steps. The Ice Guardian came to a halt just as the shape of a great bird was completed, standing at it's head, unafraid as the flame rose, and from them Phoenix.
Unlike any other time, this was not a battle where Phoenix was called to heal someone fallen. The Guardian of Rebirth faced the Ice Goddess for a moment before the two Guardians spun in dance in opposite directions - Fire and Ice, circling around each other, winter facing it's eventual end.
Only in Balamb was the Dance of Winter and Spring danced by the Guardians themselves, elsewhere human dancers dressed as the Guardians stepped into the role.
A move from the sidelines - a woman cloaked in green, decorated in winter flowers stepped into the circle - Frigga, previously unknown to Garden but she had let herself be seen, at least for Solstice festivals.
Griever also moved towards the dance, not the only one to do so as Frigga's move had been the signal for all the others to step in.
This was their recognition of the change of years - to dance in the Midwinter dance. They all danced their own steps, steps reflecting their natures, but always managing to stay in some form of pattern with the others, circling around a centre where Shiva and Phoenix danced.
The two in the middle danced faster, flakes of snow spinning off Shiva's form only to be melted straight into steam as Phoenix’s flames consumed them. For a moment Griever did not see the blue skinned goddess and the firebird - instead seeing two women half hidden in the flurries of their respective elements. Shiva did not look much different than her Guardian form but Phoenix... the firebird changed from a young girl with red hair to a grown woman in white and back again.
He knew that if he looked, the other guardians would also briefly appear human - Frigga with long chestnut hair and a pink dress, Bahamut an imposing figure in blue armour carrying a spear, Tyr a blond man with a sword strapped to his back, Diablos with long black hair and a tattered red cloak, Hiemdallr imposing in black, with silver hair, and Lady Time wearing the face of Griever's sister.
He knew Squall could see these fleeting images - a sign of his impending transition - but no other humans could see it, not even those junctioned.
With no noticeable signal, the Guardians halted, standing in a circle, Shiva and Phoenix at the centre with the Ice Queen on one knee before the Fire Bird. Phoenix made one single shrill call before taking flight and fading from the world. Shiva rose to stand proud, turning in a circle to the other Guardians. As she did, each guardian gave her a brief nod before turning and fading from the physical world, leaving Shiva to take a final spin around the circle, spreading snow over the ground where it had been melted by the dance.
"Spring is reborn, and though winter remains, the warmth will return to the world in the year to come."
With those final words Shiva faded from view, and the humans started their applause. The new year had turned and spring would come again.
I really don't know, I think it's slightly cheesy. There's also mention of some of my finalised GF lineup for Guardianverse for anyone to guess at the identities of those mentioned.
Anyway...
Midwinter
Midwinter.
A festival for saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming in the new year.
Griever had known even as far back as his human years that the festival had originated from Trabia, and Shiva was always recognised as the patron goddess of it, but it was only after his transition that he found the extent of it's history.
Shiva, the icy Sorceress Queen of Trabia from further back than current historical records reached, had ruled not just Trabia but a great deal of Esthar too and under her empire Midwinter became widely celebrated.
Now Griever would stand witness to a once in a lifetime event - Midwinter witnessed by every Guardian Force - junctioned or not.
Squall's friends were acting as junction to all the guardians that cared to be so joined to a human - Griever himself junctioned to his younger self, along with the guest of honour, the ice Guardian herself. The others had junctioned as per their preferences, while those who didn't care for junctioning had answered other summons.
Snow fell over Balamb Garden - something not common to the island, but Shiva's power called it to give the festival the right feel. Such a trick was used every year, but it was always appreciated, especially by students who can from warmer areas.
The field was quite well packed, not just with students but also with dignitaries and family members who could make it. For the last few years the visible participation of the Guardians in Balamb's Midwinter festivies had drawn more and more of a crowd and forcing the festival to be transferred from Garden's Quad to the plains, simply for the space needed.
Griever stood slightly straighter as Quistis stepped up to the stage, quiet falling over the crowd as the true Midwinter Ritual started.
"We come here this night, at the dead of winter, when all is cold and bleak, not to mourn, but to celebrate." Quistis' words were formal - a ceremonial speech given at every Midwinter. "We celebrate because even in the cold, warmth still lives, waiting to be reborn."
With that statement Squall, from his place on the stage behind Quistis, held out his hand and Shiva, already waiting spun in a dance into the widening empty circle amongst the people attending, dazzling them with her cold ethereal beauty.
"As winter dances, spring awaits to reborn, with the new year it rises again like the great Fire Bird."
On the other side of Quistis stood Selphie, who in a mirror of Squall's move, flung out an arm. Unlike before however, Selphie's hand was not empty, a bright orange feather fluttering from her hand and disappearing in a small flame.
Flames started to spring from the ground, tracking an outline that chased Shiva's steps. The Ice Guardian came to a halt just as the shape of a great bird was completed, standing at it's head, unafraid as the flame rose, and from them Phoenix.
Unlike any other time, this was not a battle where Phoenix was called to heal someone fallen. The Guardian of Rebirth faced the Ice Goddess for a moment before the two Guardians spun in dance in opposite directions - Fire and Ice, circling around each other, winter facing it's eventual end.
Only in Balamb was the Dance of Winter and Spring danced by the Guardians themselves, elsewhere human dancers dressed as the Guardians stepped into the role.
A move from the sidelines - a woman cloaked in green, decorated in winter flowers stepped into the circle - Frigga, previously unknown to Garden but she had let herself be seen, at least for Solstice festivals.
Griever also moved towards the dance, not the only one to do so as Frigga's move had been the signal for all the others to step in.
This was their recognition of the change of years - to dance in the Midwinter dance. They all danced their own steps, steps reflecting their natures, but always managing to stay in some form of pattern with the others, circling around a centre where Shiva and Phoenix danced.
The two in the middle danced faster, flakes of snow spinning off Shiva's form only to be melted straight into steam as Phoenix’s flames consumed them. For a moment Griever did not see the blue skinned goddess and the firebird - instead seeing two women half hidden in the flurries of their respective elements. Shiva did not look much different than her Guardian form but Phoenix... the firebird changed from a young girl with red hair to a grown woman in white and back again.
He knew that if he looked, the other guardians would also briefly appear human - Frigga with long chestnut hair and a pink dress, Bahamut an imposing figure in blue armour carrying a spear, Tyr a blond man with a sword strapped to his back, Diablos with long black hair and a tattered red cloak, Hiemdallr imposing in black, with silver hair, and Lady Time wearing the face of Griever's sister.
He knew Squall could see these fleeting images - a sign of his impending transition - but no other humans could see it, not even those junctioned.
With no noticeable signal, the Guardians halted, standing in a circle, Shiva and Phoenix at the centre with the Ice Queen on one knee before the Fire Bird. Phoenix made one single shrill call before taking flight and fading from the world. Shiva rose to stand proud, turning in a circle to the other Guardians. As she did, each guardian gave her a brief nod before turning and fading from the physical world, leaving Shiva to take a final spin around the circle, spreading snow over the ground where it had been melted by the dance.
"Spring is reborn, and though winter remains, the warmth will return to the world in the year to come."
With those final words Shiva faded from view, and the humans started their applause. The new year had turned and spring would come again.
