Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warning:
Categories:
Fandom:
Relationships:
Characters:
Additional Tags:
Language:
English
Series:
Part 2 of Annual FFXIV Writes
Collections:
The Wholesomely Debauched & Enabling Bookclub FFXIV-Writes 2022 Collection, #FFxivWrite2022 Final Fantasy 30 Day Writing Challenge
Stats:
Published:
2022-09-02
Updated:
2023-02-28
Words:
12,697
Chapters:
18/?
Comments:
107
Kudos:
47
Bookmarks:
2
Hits:
1,969

Chapter 18: Day 30: Sojourn

Summary:

Whelp, this fell out of my brain in some sort of manic state. Guess I'm adding another prompt.

In the twilight of his days, Peeta writes a letter to a man long dead. Hythlodaeus/m!WoL. Sometimes I think about Peeta being a viera and how that means he'll live centuries long after all his friends are dead and gone and I cry. Still, his soulmate has been gone even longer.

CW for mentions or allusions to post game character deaths of f!WoL, Hades, scions, Erenville.

Notes:

sojourn

 

noun

 

a temporary stay

Saphir belongs to the lovely OliveTea, as does her ancient Azem incarnation Virgo. Saphir and Peeta (Pan and Virgo) are agressively platonic soulmates and part of a quadruple? of Hades/Virgo(Saphir), Hythlodaeus/Hades, and Hyth/Pantalaimon(Peeta). Lovers and metamours soon to be reunited.

Chapter Text

In the far flung future, some era we cannot imagine, a scholar comes across a letter among the belongings of one of the fabled Warriors of Light who once helped save the star from despair.

 

It has been thirteen thousand turns of the sun since you trod our star, when it was whole, and paradise to your eyes. It has been 680 turns, 3 moons, 3 days, and 9 bells since I last saw your smile, touched your skin, or heard your laugh. It has been less than a moment since I missed you so much it aches.

Your existence is writ upon my soul and despite all the long years of my life, the trials, the victories, the many who have sheltered my heart, none have truly claimed its fierce and wild essence. We both know it has ever and always belonged to you, even when I did not know it. The aetherial sea in its entirety could not contain the love I bear for you.

The days grow long now and dim. My old eyes are not what they once were, but every sight I lose to age allows me to gaze at the memory of you in my mind’s eye. I find myself, at the end of my life, almost as eager as a callow youth. I know better than most what awaits us beyond the last breath, and it is not something to fear.

The world has almost forgotten what passed so long ago. There are few who care to hear the stories any longer, although that might perhaps be the fault of the teller, who tends to ramble and mutter and fall asleep before the tale is done. Ah well.

The whole star mourned with me when we buried the Warrior of Light, centuries ago now. They mourned the symbol, the larger than life echo of their savior. I mourned my dearest friend. Saphir was my anchor in every possible way. I hope she has been good company these many years. She was not the first of Etheirys’ champions to return to the star, but the one that left me most bereft. The rest did not last much longer, relatively speaking. Although Alphinaud and Alisaie outlived them all, they have still been gone long enough that none, but I, knew them in life.

My children and grandchildren, how I wish you could have known them, sat by my side when I buried Erenville. He was the last who knew them, who could remember with me. Yet he never knew you, nor Hades, nor brillian, shining Virgo. I am the last to remember that you once lived.

It’s getting harder to go on each day. My body betrays me, but I am not afraid. My loved ones watch me with pity and kindness, tolerating my foibles and endless reminisces. Little do they know the joy in my soul, for very soon now, I will see you again, my beloved.

When next we sojourn on this star, no power in the heavens will separate us. See you soon.

Notes:

I blame the wholesome, debauched, and enabling friends in the Book Club for goading my brain into creating this. Check it out if you want more amazing FFXIV fanfic food.

Series this work belongs to: