Holidays. A day, a week, or even longer… a time of year where one breaks the routine of daily life and follow a special tradition. From holidays celebrating workers, parents and trees, to the marking of victories, tragedies, beginnings and endings, holidays are a vital part of the culture of whatever society. Despite the many different cultures, there are often trends that follow each culture. Holidays of harvest for example. Because of this, some holidays converge all together that a powerful spirit is born.
This spirit represents the essence of the holiday. Sometimes they change shape, form or name depending on the culture or even take on allies or assistants if the workload becomes too much, but they take their job to ensure the holiday continues to the best of their ability.
The origin of a spirit usually comes from someone who embodied the meaning of the holiday they will come to represent or even found it in the first place. All spirits were at one point mortal. Much like how the Alicorn Sisters of Equestria are heralds of the sun and moon, they are not the only powerful beings in this world. In the same way, these spirits came from all walks of life.
In our story, we will tell the story of four different spirits. Each of them represent a vital holiday and furthermore, have taken themselves to represent a season. They are:
Saint Hooves the Reindeer, Dagran the Ram, Athena the Serpent and Mortis the Headless Horse.
Saint Hooves is the guardian of Winter. He is the spirit of Christmas and the other winter holidays.
Dagran the Ram is the guardian of Spring. He is the spirit of St Patrick’s Day and other spring holidays.
Athena the Serpent is the guardian of Summer. She is the spirit of Valentine’s Day and other summer holidays.
Mortis the Headless Horse is the guardian of Fall. He is the spirit of Halloween and other autumn holidays.
When the pre-spirit mortals usually start approaching their ascension when strange and sometimes dire situations are occurring. During these situations, they show their true colors and their merit as being worthy. They are then approached by the one who oversees the birth of the holiday spirits, Aion, Keeper of Time.
Before we tell the stories of the four spirits, we must first talk of the one who creates and guides them, Aion, the Keeper of Time.
Aion was said to be the mother of all phoenixes, born among the stardust and cosmic flames of the first stars being brought to life. She is the keeper of birth, death and rebirth and is such viewed as an almighty herald of Time itself.
Beyond her mastery over time, she could manipulate her size and shape in order to interact with mortals, which is how she mothered the race of phoenixes.
Here is an excerpt about him from a creation myth from the forerunners:
“And as the first stars were born from the embers of the furnace of creation, the first moment of passing occurred. From the merging of star dust from all the first-born stars was the one who defined the creation of firstness…
A cosmic egg from which came the divine siblings, Aion, Astraeus, Protogonos, Ananke, Demiourgos, Physis, and Xenoangelos
With the birth of Aion came the birth of time. With the birth of Astraeus came the birth of space.
Aion was a winged marvel and at her first sound was the signal of the beginning of time.
Aion spread her wings and captured the pure embers from the furnace of creation and began to fly throughout across her twin brother, Astraeus.
A powerful halo, one that the stars themselves wore, lighted up behind her like a crown. Seven rays of light showered from it; with these guiding lights, beings became aware of time. From the long crest of feathers on her head, representing the rivers of time, to her almighty wings, her visage was a beautiful color of violets and purples.
A First Daughter of Creation.
The Mistress of Time.
The Herald of Eternity.
As she flew, golden grains would float from down her ever-expanding wings. To many a mortal, it was to be known as the Sands of Time.
From the small seeds growing into a mighty tree, she was there. From the first cries of an infant to their final words, she was there. Her wings encompasses all that was, all that is and all that will be.”
Aion’s association with the holidays was not understood well with ancient times; it was believed when calendar systems were created and protoholidays were celebrated was when he began to appear more often in legends beyond that of creation.
Aion is mostly considered myth now, only known to the blessed folk and other powerful mortals or demi-deities that have responsibilities over their subjects. However, to these four special beings, Aion is their overseer. To ensure that the special times would never be forgot.
Despite being a goddess of a time even before the First Age, her influence was still seen subtly, through cucco clocks with birds to the legend of clock making inspired by a circling bird around dawn and dusk. Even though she had many champions come and go, they are still honored in her memory and in myth of the world.
These are the stories of these champions.