Seasonic Years

Title: Seasonic Years

Created by: Sakura Tommiko

A long, long time ago, in the distant past, there lived a goddess. Her name was Fira. She was a very beautiful goddess, not one human nor was any other god an equal to her. Every time that she would go down to the human world to play, every man's eyes was stolen by her beauty, not even the married nor were the children spared. Fira was the Goddess of Seasons. Her emotions determined the seasons in the human world, but...

The world back then was different.

The world back then did not know any other season except for Spring. Why? Because Fira was always so lively and cheerful. She didn't have anything but happiness in her heart.

Then one day, with all the flowers still blooming, and with the trees dancing along the wind, it was announced the Fira was now available to marry. In her shrine, any male was given permission to enter. She was there, just sitting idly, waiting for her groom to come.

When the women of the human world heard of this news, they started a false rumor about Fira saying that she would only manipulate their feelings for her own playful desires, and after she gets bored, she would take his life and get another.

Fearing of what might truly happen; the men did not take the risk of even trying to approach her, not even one. On the other hand, Fira, who was still hoping that someone would come, waited silently on her seat.

For centuries, as humans went on their daily lives, eventually forgetting about Fira's existence and the rumors, she did not move from where she sat, in the thought that she would not waste any time and opportunity. But hope never really last long, "Even gods lose hope." a low whisper came from her mouth, with an exhausted smile drawn on her face.

Fira lost hope, bit by bit, like a candle slowly melting away.

With a flame lighted to slowly melt her heart, the human world, as well, became warmer as the days passed by. And when anger finally completed to fill her heart, it was now the beginning of mankind's very first Summer.

For years, Fira made the world and the humans suffer.

Extreme heat, dried crops, dead animals, low water, unknown illnesses... all of these problems came rampant. Yet humans, with their pride and dignity, did not allow themselves to suffer. They started to tend plants, to raise animals, to develop cure, with utmost care and determination.

After Fira's anger, she became depressed, causing her to fall apart. Thus, the beginning of Fall.
As humans was now getting used to summer, the leaves of their hardworked trees began to fall, changing its color to blood as it reached the ground.

For another set of years, decades, no, centuries. Leaves would always fall from trees no matter what the humans did. As humans observed their soil, they saw not the color of green, nor the color brown, but the color of red.

Yes, the color of blood.

The red-colored leaves covered the ground entirely, leaving the humans of a very chilly sensation - the sensation of their cowering bodies, fear.

Then the next thing they knew, white, frozen rain began to drop from the sky.

It destroyed everything.

It froze every single thing.

Water, trees, houses, all of it! And it seemed like it won't stop any time soon.

Fira, now stained with only sadness in her heart, finally cast an eternal Winter.

The perfect season to make the humans suffer.

As time pass by quickly with snow, the humans then at last started to investigate why this was happening.

"Why are we suffering?"

"What did we do wrong to deserve this?"

"Why?"

As the researchers, including myself, were wandering the mountains one afternoon to find shelter, we saw a rather odd looking house beneath a big tree.

"What a lucky day for us!" I said with a smile that glittered brightly. I, along with my companions, quickly rushed to the odd looking house. Yet when we arrived, we gasped in surprise, our mouths widely opened.

We mesmerize, for we arrived at a sacred place - the shrine of the Goddess of Seasons, Fira.

"What business might humans bring to dare step forth in my lair? Speak, or you shall never see the break of dawn once again!" a sudden rage yet subtle voice echoed through the walls of the shrine.

"We are here, seeking for shelter. We mean no harm or disturbance in your humble abode. Please, help us."

"Help? HA!" the voice uttered.

Behind the shadows of the darkened room sitting before the confused humans, there stood the mysterious figure of a woman, who didn't seem to have a physical body, or a stable spiritual form. Step by step; one foot after the other, the woman approaches the humans standing before her.

Revealing herself, to the humans who were pursuing her, she stands firmly on the ground with her long hair touching the soil and with her clothes poorly worn, surprising us, the humans, she once again speaks:

"You, humans, who betrayed me... Who ignored me, who abandoned me... are now seeking me for help?" she asked with a rather enraged and sarcastic voice.

"You... disgust me."

"Goddess of Seasons... Fira?"

"Ha! For once, you are not ignorant! Yes, I'm Fira - the cause of all your pain and suffering."
"Please, end this winter!"

"No... I won't... Even if I disappear because of my unstable state, I will still continue to live in this world...
As a curse to remind every human of their misdeeds... of their lies... of their hatred... of their fear... of their suffering. For... they are selfish..."

As she said those last words, her body began to fade, turning her form into dust, and eventually getting blown by the wind. At that exact moment, I knew she was gone... gone forever, but... she kept on living.

Living inside the seasons she left in the world. Surely, Summer, Fall and Winter did not originate out of a wonderful experience, reminding all the humans of her misery and suffering, but she did leave behind one reminder, Spring, that she was once happy beside the humans that betrayed her.

Spring - Happiness

Summer - Hatred

Fall - Fear

Winter - Suffering