07-05-2026, 12:59 AM
With fans delighted, hearts both overjoyed and broken, and plenty of glory won, it was time for the first ever IDU Winter Olympiad to come to a close.
After a morning of activities and a formal luncheon at the Royal Palace for the Olympiad’s many medalists hosted by Her Majesty Queen Katherina herself, athletes milled about in the waiting area of Sophie the Brave Memorial Stadium. The defeated and the victorious stood side by side, wrapped in their national colors and engaging in vibrant discussions with their peers. Despite the energy of the crowd outside, an air of finality filled the stadium’s crowded halls, either satisfaction in a job well done or a deep desire to move on.
In the stadium proper, dancers in longer halarei typical of 19th century Auria seemed to appear from thin air, dancing in pairs, groups of five, and then one big circle. Over their feats of agility and grace played music ranging from pre-independence opera to grungier 80s rock that made Aurian parents in the crowd nostalgic for their youth. As the dancers dispersed, a platform lifted from the center of the stadium, revealing Aurian music icon Kristjans Tašei. The talented tenor entranced the audience with a rousing performance of his “Farewell to Andrija,” with projected images on the stadium floor ensuring the song served as both a farewell to the athletes and a tribute to the major Aurian figures lost during the recent Civil War.
Just as the Eirians had led the opening ceremony’s parade, the parade for the closing ceremony was led by the athletes from the Kingdom of Auria, their purple and blue uniforms shining in the late afternoon light. The 32 delegations of Olympians circled the stadium, some proudly bearing the gold, silver, and bronze decorations they had so proudly earned (and many more carrying the cute little finch plushies of the Olympiad’s mascot). Mystical dancers representing snow and ice escorted them, doing flips, handstands and cartwheels as they proceeded along the path.
A dance and two more performances from Aurian legends later, the music in the background shifted away from Aurian pop to a distinctly more Hesperidan beat. Formations of new dancers in traditionally Haesanite dress descended on the center of the stadium, accompanied by a beat evoking the most popular Hae-pop songs. The dancers quickly got to work, unfolding multicolored fans as aerial projectors cast images of the Haesanite countryside and the city of Suyang on the ground. As the dancers mesmerized the crowd, a pair of soldiers marched solemnly toward the cauldron. Despite being from different nations, their uniforms coincidentally matched, as purple is the designated color of both the Eirian Guards of the Republic and the Aurian Royal Grenadiers.
As the dance performance died down, the soldiers climbed the staircase, reaching the peak just as the music ceased. The soldiers knelt together, placing the torch at the cauldron’s edge. In a moment of solemn silence, the fire faded down, passing to the torch. As the soldiers descended with the flame, a delegation from Haesan walked out to meet them, led by Suyang Mayor Kim Eun-ji. With a handshake and a salute, the torch was passed, signalling to the world that the honor and responsibility of carrying on the Olympic movement now falls to Haesan.
The soldiers then moved to the flagpoles, slowly lowering them as an orchestra played a mashup of the Eirian and Aurian anthem composed by iconic conductor and film composer Kijam Jansons. As the flags were folded and the host countries honored, the athletes were brought around the stadium, marching out its entrance to a parade route towards the sea.
Fans from around the world lined the streets, tossing flowers, stuffed animals and Aurian sweets as the athletes were escorted into Lumiere’s harbor and onto the same 32 boats that had taken them to Auria during the opening ceremony. With waves and blown kisses to the cheering crowds, the athletes set sail eastward, the setting sun at their backs and the future of their sporting careers ahead of them.
After a morning of activities and a formal luncheon at the Royal Palace for the Olympiad’s many medalists hosted by Her Majesty Queen Katherina herself, athletes milled about in the waiting area of Sophie the Brave Memorial Stadium. The defeated and the victorious stood side by side, wrapped in their national colors and engaging in vibrant discussions with their peers. Despite the energy of the crowd outside, an air of finality filled the stadium’s crowded halls, either satisfaction in a job well done or a deep desire to move on.
In the stadium proper, dancers in longer halarei typical of 19th century Auria seemed to appear from thin air, dancing in pairs, groups of five, and then one big circle. Over their feats of agility and grace played music ranging from pre-independence opera to grungier 80s rock that made Aurian parents in the crowd nostalgic for their youth. As the dancers dispersed, a platform lifted from the center of the stadium, revealing Aurian music icon Kristjans Tašei. The talented tenor entranced the audience with a rousing performance of his “Farewell to Andrija,” with projected images on the stadium floor ensuring the song served as both a farewell to the athletes and a tribute to the major Aurian figures lost during the recent Civil War.
Just as the Eirians had led the opening ceremony’s parade, the parade for the closing ceremony was led by the athletes from the Kingdom of Auria, their purple and blue uniforms shining in the late afternoon light. The 32 delegations of Olympians circled the stadium, some proudly bearing the gold, silver, and bronze decorations they had so proudly earned (and many more carrying the cute little finch plushies of the Olympiad’s mascot). Mystical dancers representing snow and ice escorted them, doing flips, handstands and cartwheels as they proceeded along the path.
A dance and two more performances from Aurian legends later, the music in the background shifted away from Aurian pop to a distinctly more Hesperidan beat. Formations of new dancers in traditionally Haesanite dress descended on the center of the stadium, accompanied by a beat evoking the most popular Hae-pop songs. The dancers quickly got to work, unfolding multicolored fans as aerial projectors cast images of the Haesanite countryside and the city of Suyang on the ground. As the dancers mesmerized the crowd, a pair of soldiers marched solemnly toward the cauldron. Despite being from different nations, their uniforms coincidentally matched, as purple is the designated color of both the Eirian Guards of the Republic and the Aurian Royal Grenadiers.
As the dance performance died down, the soldiers climbed the staircase, reaching the peak just as the music ceased. The soldiers knelt together, placing the torch at the cauldron’s edge. In a moment of solemn silence, the fire faded down, passing to the torch. As the soldiers descended with the flame, a delegation from Haesan walked out to meet them, led by Suyang Mayor Kim Eun-ji. With a handshake and a salute, the torch was passed, signalling to the world that the honor and responsibility of carrying on the Olympic movement now falls to Haesan.
The soldiers then moved to the flagpoles, slowly lowering them as an orchestra played a mashup of the Eirian and Aurian anthem composed by iconic conductor and film composer Kijam Jansons. As the flags were folded and the host countries honored, the athletes were brought around the stadium, marching out its entrance to a parade route towards the sea.
Fans from around the world lined the streets, tossing flowers, stuffed animals and Aurian sweets as the athletes were escorted into Lumiere’s harbor and onto the same 32 boats that had taken them to Auria during the opening ceremony. With waves and blown kisses to the cheering crowds, the athletes set sail eastward, the setting sun at their backs and the future of their sporting careers ahead of them.
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