The immortal realm of Ei'nalem is a truly magical place where the unbelievable is reality. Faeries and nymphs play in mystical streams, tree spirits come alive, and great and powerful Guardians watch over their hallowed domains.

The frigid winter snow was soon to fade away in the land of Ei'nalem. It was the time many of the realm's inhabitants looked forward to -- the coming of the vernal equinox. And no other deity could bring forth such a wondrous splendor of color and rebirth like Elo'Dien, the immortal Guardian of Spring. Each season, she blessed the lands far and wide with immeasurable beauty: her loving touch could be seen in every pastel blossom, every sweet floral scent, even the tranquil trickling of a cool stream and a warm, hushed breeze drifting listlessly through budding trees.

Beautiful Elo'Dien was naturally a jovial soul, innocent and youthful in spirit. She relished spending time with her sisters and other folk of Ei'nalem, but as of late she had found herself spending much time alone in her own realm.

It puzzled her sisters, themselves Seasonal Guardians or "Aneteira", daughters of Anteres the supreme Guardian of the Earth Realm. Elo'Dien was usually the one to bring others together. She especially enjoyed hosting a soiree for the coming of spring at The Gathering Place, an enchanted pavilion where all in Ei'nalem could meet, celebrate, and pay homage to the Ancient Ones.

Paeda, the Guardian of Summer, was in fact looking very forward to the vernal equinox at the Gathering Place; the coming of spring signaled preparations for her own blessed season, that which happened to be, in her view, the most heralded and treasured season of all. Paeda was very close to Elo'Dien and felt the pain of her absence more than anyone.

One day the summer spirit set out to visit her sister and find out exactly why she was becoming so isolated. Paeda always marveled at the colorful grandeur that was the Vernal Realm. Though her own home was eternally lush and green, she sometimes felt pangs of envy at the multitude of rich colors, especially the eternally blooming flowers.

And to her astonishment, she found the gentle spring Guardian not singing to her jeweled flowers or whispering to her budding trees, but instead sitting alone and looking more forlorn than Paeda had ever seen her be.

Paeda approached her teary-eyed sibling, though Elo'Dien barely took notice. "The very blossoms of the ground and sun-kissed canopies above weep and wail at your despair, Sister. What force in the everafter has caused you such woe?"

Elo'Dien sighed gently, her eyes fixated on the lush ground. "Father is displeased with me, and I know not what to do."

Paeda laughed softly, beaming a blinding smile at her sister. "He is always displeased with me. Yet I do not weep. My solstice awakens as it should every season with shine and fair. And your blooms invoke a sense of wonder in our lands. What has him angry now? Why do you despair so greatly?"

Elo'Dien could only weep more at Paeda's sunny, non-bothered disposition. "The vernal equinox draws nigh, and Father believes that I am missing something very important. I am to go on a quest to find it!"

Paeda questioned her woeful sister about what it was she could possibly be in need of finding. Elo'Dien explained that Anteres had commanded she find the "Essence of Spring", yet said little of exactly what the Essence was. The spring Guardian hadn't the faintest idea what it could be or how to go about locating it.

"He has charged me with the task of gathering clues from the great realms of Ei'nalem and with seeking guidance from the immortals. I must find the Essence before the equinox -- I fear I will NEVER locate it in time!"

"Oh, Sister..." Paeda sighed knowingly, "The Patrantehr is ALWAYS charging someone with something. I was once tasked to find blue fire -- have you any notion as to how difficult such a thing was to find?! Father was simply amused at my frustration, or so I have come to believe. Perhaps he is toying with you as well...?"

"...If only you had witnessed the gravity in his tone and words...no, I do not believe such is the case this time."

"In all the ages I have never heard of such a thing...could it be a blossom of some sort? Or a charm? A spell, perchance?"

Elo'Dien's face panged with frustration. "In truth I do not believe --"

" --By the Ancients, let it be a handsome warrior! What better essence of life is there than the gentle caress of a gallant Son?" Paeda could scarcely contain her dreaming bliss and nearly forgot all about her dispirited sister.

"My apologies, Elo'Dien," she giggled, a longing sparkle in her eye. "It would be a heavenly essence, you must admit."
Elo'Dien finally managed a gentle smile and nodded in innocent agreement.

"If I were you, I would seek advice from Hestya. She is, according to Father, the wisest among the sisters. How he revels in reminding me at every given chance...she was an immense help to me in finding the elusive blue fire -- I am certain she can aid you as well!"

Elo'Dien sighed once more, though grateful for her sister's advice. "Truly, if I am to embark upon a quest of guidance, the Autumnal Realm is a wise place to begin."

"Do not despair, little sister." Paeda beamed. "You will not be forced to face the colossal, fiery wrath of the Patrantehr alone!"

"...Many thanks, Paeda. I think."

Elo'Dien quickly journeyed to the realm of her sister Hestya. The autumn foliage and rushing waters were in full majesty, the air cool and crisp. It was a very comforting place to be, and Elo'Dien usually enjoyed spending days there nearly as much as in her own realm.

As to be expected, Hestya was busy tending every golden blade of grass, every scarlet leaf, even the tiny creatures that called her place home.

And also as to be expected, she was overjoyed to see her sister.

"It has been far too long, Flower!" Hestya said in her warm, maternal way. "What force of the spirits brings you to my domain this day?"

Elo'Dien explained to Hestya the details of her dilemma and asked for the wise Guardian's guidance.

Hestya pondered the situation for a great while. "That is quite the conundrum. I am afraid even I do not know the nature of this 'Essence'. But Father, in his infinite wisdom, surely means for you to find it for your own sake. You must do as he has commanded and gather clues from afar. The Patrantehr is a wise sage, Elo'Dien. Trust in this -- on my honor, the answer WILL come to you."

Elo'Dien lowered her teary eyes and nodded. "My journey continues, then. I thank you, Hestya, for your guidance."

"Visit with Censae. Her knowledge of the realms is vast -- perhaps she has answers in that chilly domain of hers. Good journey to you, sister."

The journey was in fact good. In all honesty, it was quite refreshing. Elo'Dien had not ventured far from her domain in a while, and it did her heart good to breathe in the familiar air of the Realm of Seasons.

Censae's wintry domain was as frigid as always, the massive trees baring both weighted leaves of frost and none at all. The stream of frozen water glistened brilliantly in the indigo night as did the sparkling soft snow.

The subdued Guardian of Winter was eagerly preparing for her season's end; it had been a harsh one, but necessary for the delicate balance of Ei'nalem's divine ecosystem, and that of the mortal world as well. Unlike her sister Paeda, who would have every season be her own if she could will it, Censae would much rather gather a pillowy drift of powdery fresh-fallen snow and sleep the time away.

For now, however, Censae played the role of attentive and compassionate sibling and friend. Though she was surprised and a bit unsettled by their father's strange commandment, she understood full well that he had meaningful reasoning behind such actions.

"Even wise Hestya could not decipher Father's words," Elo'Dien wailed softly. "I am only afraid that such a daunting journey will leave me ill prepared for the equinox. What if I do not return with haste? And if I do not find the Essence -- what will become of spring?"

Censae's usually cool demeanor warmed up momentarily at all the thoughts of what such an entity could be. The idea of an "Essence of Spring" intrigued her greatly.

"Something of such grand importance must surely be a thing of beauty -- something very precious. The Wind Guardians of the high mountains guard the most sacred stones in all of Ei'nalem, and of course their winds nurture our own seasons...how magnificent it would be if the Essence were a Celephyer stone!"

"Travel to the high mountains...? Such a lengthy journey...but alas, I must do as the Patrantehr has commanded --"

"--The Nahyerrae NEVER allow me the privilege of gathering Celephyer stones! They can be dreadfully spiteful and disagreeable when they so choose. That's family for you--"

"--It would seem so. Of course, I must be on my way--"

"--Though the thought of that silly mare aiding ANYONE with ANYTHING...such an idea is pricelessly hilarious!" Censae grinned, bursting into a melodious fit of giggles.

Elo'Dien smiled softly at her sister. "...I suppose that has some bearing of truth...it seems that I will be in the high mountains for a spell. I will see you soon, sister -- my thanks to you."

Elo'Dien's delicate wings were more than grateful to warm up in the soothing, familiar air of the mountain realm. It had been a long flight, but the magical winds carried her along effortlessly. The air of the high mountains was dry and not the slightest bit cold; one would expect such a thing in the alpine elevations of the mortal realm, but the Wind Guardians preferred a more neutral climate in their soaring wind-swept domain.

Erryhs, Aellyllo, Ealo, and Aeyone were the Nahyarrae, or Four Winds. Though spiriting the winds around and about Ei'nalem was their primary duty, they were also charged with guarding one of the most precious, revered stones of the lands: the gleaming, iridescent Celephyer. This was arguably their most arduous task; the rocky realm was scarcely without an opportunistic deity trying his or her darndest to pilfer a few stones or crystals.

The Nahyarrae were very close to Elo'Dien and the other Seasonal Guardians as they were family: Anteres, the Patrantehr, was brother to Celeste, the eternal spirit of the sky and stars, mother of the Nahyarrae. Three of the Wind Guardians warmly received their cousin, grateful to see her again after such a lengthy span of time.

"The North Wind has informed us of your plight, cousin," said Ealo, the quiet Guardian of the East Wind. "She has spirited off to parts unknown, but left a grain of guidance in her wake. She proposed we call upon Mother...sadly, she did not answer us."

Elo'Dien was a bit surprised to hear that word of her predicament had spread beyond the borders of the Seasonal gates. Aeyone, however, was known far and wide for her prowess at distilling tales through Ei'nalem faster than any other being alive.

Erryhs, the boisterous and exuberant West Wind, suspected a "sinister" pact formed between their uncle and their mother, and quite possibly the pair's other siblings as well. "I am pressed to believe, little Elo, that you will not gain any greater guidance than that of the spirits who dwell in Ei'nalem. It seems the Patrantehr has rallied the other supreme deities of the everafter to refrain from offering any aid to you whatsoever. Winds of woe, what a genius scheme!"

Elo'Dien withered at such a thought. "He has set even my family everafter against me..."

"Not against, I would believe...perhaps this quest is to be in your favor. Ealo and I have gathered that the Essence you seek is not a stone of these mountains -- though sacred, stones are physical bodies -- would it not stand to reason that an Essence of spring would be a thing of magic? Something not of the ground, but of the celestial beyond?"

Elo'Dien pondered this for a moment. The whole idea of an Essence of anything did have an immaterial quality to it. "That speaks of sound thought, Erryhs. Then I should seek out a source of great magic --"

"--You need look no further than the Celestial realm," Erryhs boomed in her regal, commanding way. "Evodre's hallowed starlight must be the Essence you seek!"

The East and West Winds and the Spring Guardian were suddenly startled by a piercing shrill of joy.

"In bliss and blessed gladness my heart sings! A drop of starlight much happiness brings!" Crooned Aellyllo, the cheerful, and somewhat directionless, South Wind. As her sister Aeyone was famed for her storytelling, Aellyllo was known far and wide for being a most wayward, simple-minded spirit. It was touching and endearing to a point; when she would find herself lost for ages at a time, all of Ei'nalem suffered from the imbalance in the winds.

Elo'Dien smiled tenderly at the silly little mare. "Why do you rejoice so at the mention of starlight, cousin?"

"It glistens my mane with the brilliant glimmer of ten thousand stars, of course! No mere enchantment could do such a thing! I embarked upon a great journey to sister Evodre's domain to retrieve a droplet but a few moons ago...

...and I became lost on the way. I landed in the realm of the sea dwellers...or at least I think I did..."

"Who in the great beyond could guess WHERE your travels took you, little one..." Erryhs sighed.

She was responded to by an adorably sweet and painfully naive giggle. "Who indeed! Elo'Dien, it would be wise for you to visit the Celestial realm and seek guidance from our sister, but perhaps you should also seek aid from the tree spirits of the Hallowed Woods. Sap from the great forest has mystical powers -- and it makes my horn shine!"

Ealo understood exactly to what end such talk was leading. "Little sister, I do not believe that Elo'Dien can waste time in --"

"--Might a kind and generous and wise and beautiful cousin, perchance, accompany her equally generous cousin on her tedious journey?" Aellyllo interrupted with genuine sparkling pleasantry. Her sisters could only shake their heads in knowing sympathy toward a slightly grimacing spring spirit who suddenly found herself quite on-the-spot.

"...It would be my...pleasure, Aellyllo...I would...enjoy your company in my travels..." The colorful mare skipped with joy per her frisky nature. "We must make haste, however. I need return to the Vernal Realm as quickly as the winds can carry me."

"We will do our best," Erryhs nodded.

"Thank you all for your guidance. It will serve me well, I am sure of it. And I will watch after Aellyllo...as best I can."

"She is far from a child, Elo'Dien," said Ealo. "If and when she loses her way, she will find it once more...eventually..."

Aellyllo ran ahead, then took off on a brisk south wind, leaving Elo'Dien behind for one more inquiry. "Would you, by chance, be willing to spare--"

She was quickly cut off by Erryhs' stern declaration. "--I would not give Censae Celephyer stones when she was last here, and I will not send them now." That being very clearly stated, Elo'Dien took off after a swift-flying Aellyllo.

"Good speed to you both!" Ealo called after them.

"..."

"..."

Erryhs snorted with much exasperation. "One hundred arrows wager that Aellyllo will be lost by the journey to the Forest."

Her sister could only lower her head in woe. "...One hundred and one wagered BEFORE."

A few moons' time finally landed Elo'Dien and her travelling companion in the ethereal Celestial Realm. It was a place suspended somewhere between the here and the there, neither up nor down, left nor right. An unimaginable multitude of shimmering stars shone in every conceivable direction, though direction itself did not truly exist in this place of magic and mystery.

Evodre, sister of the Four Winds and cousin of Elo'Dien, was the eternal Guardian of heavenly bodies. Enveloped in swirling nebulae and magical essence, she maintained her other-wordly home in solitude, though she reveled the attention of visitors. Evodre was the most powerful and wise of the many daughters of Celeste, and upon hearing Elo'Dien's passionate story, sought to use her wisdom in any way she possibly could.

Evodre's voice was maternal and beautiful, known to make warriors weep with a mere utterance. "Oh, Elo'Dien, I have, as have the Winds, attempted in vain to reach Mother. I pleaded with her to respond, but to no avail. The Essence of which you seek is far more complex than what you may find in the domain of the stars, and yet beautifully simplistic."

"...I am not certain I understand completely, Guardian," Elo'Dien managed cautiously. "None of this seems simple to me at all."

Evodre raised her mighty staff of light and spoke as the celestial auras responded.

"The task you have been given is of hallowed significance to you, but not to you alone. There is majesty and life all around you, yet you have been blind to it for reasons that matter little, and matter so much. Your heart is open and warm, inviting, though your spirit is dim. Even the great stars of the endless beyond burn bright and then cease their light, Spring Guardian. Yet within you lies the power of renewal. Such is your birthright -- as of late, you have denounced it. The Patrantehr is merely showing you the path to reclaiming it."

Aellyllo, though fascinated with every spec of light and word of prose, was becoming fidgety and anxious awaiting the light that SHE so desperately wanted. She began jumping up and down, clapping her hands together and chanting endlessly for her starlight.

"Oh yes...the starlight." Evodre sighed, plucking a generous drop of it from the starlight sphere of her magical staff. She understood how much it meant to her sister, and how much it brightened her little heart, but for now her focus was concentrated on her bewildered cousin. "Elo'Dien, you must look for the deeper meaning, and also the most simplistic one. That is at most what guidance I can give."

"You have been most gracious, Evodre," Elo'Dien said with a warm smile, though still baffled at the conundrum her cousin offered. "I will take this knowledge with me and try my best to find the Essence in time for the equinox."

"I pray so." said Evodre. "I so look forward to spring at the Gathering Place. You will shine fair, I truly believe so, and WITH your Essence revealed."

"Eeeeee, starlight...thank you eternally, sister!" Aellyllo squealed with childish delight. At least her mane would be ready for the coming Gathering.

"Elo'Dien, go with your spirit. The stars will guide you as they can, and you have the speed of the winds on your side as well. You cannot fail with allies as powerful as these. I will see you at the equinox, cousin. The eternal be with you..."

Elo'Dien and a freshly-polished-mane-bearing Aellyllo traveled for many moons until they at last reached the Hallowed Woods. The quiet of the place was both tranquil and unsettling, depending on one's level of comfort and bravery. The magnificent trees created an infinite maze of paths, and it was beyond easy to become lost within the twists and turns of branches, leaves, more paths, and more branches. Tree spirits were intangible spirits of the woods who inhabited the trees themselves for ages at a time until they became one entity. The forest was also inhabited by elusive wood sprites and reclusive ferils, or feline spirits. These strong warriors were severely protective of their woods and did not like to be awakened from their extremely long slumbers.

The companions traversed the winding paths, familiar to Elo'Dien who had journeyed through them thousands of times, and unfamiliar to Aellyllo who had also journeyed through them thousands of times. Searching desperately for one responsive tree spirit or nymph, their path ended abruptly, cut off by one particularly wide, stumpy trunk.

"By the spirits, I do not remember this tree stationed in the middle of this path," said a puzzled Elo'Dien.

"I do not remember...anything. Perhaps we have travelled a dead-end path, cousin."

"No...I am certain we have not. There are a multitude in these woods, but this is not one of them. This path should proceed directly to the tree spirit Gendur. He is very helpful to travellers such as ourselves."

"Yes, however we -- wait...Elo, did you hear something...?" Elo'Dien shook her head no, though she did hear the creaking, moaning sound and did not want to frighten her jittery cousin. "There! Once more! And again! You MUST have heard it! It...it is..it is--"

"RAWWWWWWWWRRRR!!! IT IS A FAMISHED DEMON SOON TO DINE ON TENDER YOUNG MARE FLESH!!!! RAWWWWWWWWWRRR!!!!"

"Aiiiiiiieeeeeeee!!!! Unnnhh..."

Elo'Dien raced to her companion's side, but Aellyllo had dropped like much dead weight onto the ground, fainting from sheer fright.

"Curses, Balwyn! To be so cruel -- what have you to say for your evil self?!"

The prankster tree spirit chuckled gleefully.

"I say she did not hit the ground hard enough!" His uproarious cackling laughter bellowed through the forest awaking every poor creature within the slightest earshot. Knowing he had claimed yet another unsuspecting victim, they mostly returned to their slumbering. "It was the most gratifying humor I have enjoyed in ages, spring spirit! Hohohohoho!"

Elo'Dien was not so amused. "And how much humor, tree spirit, would you find in having your bark peeled strip by tiny strip?" Of course, he did not find that amusing whatsoever.

"...Ah, to other less agonizing matters...I have heard from the North Wind that you seek my great guidance, yes? You are in search of the Dressing of Things. I will be most delighted to aid you with that, fair lady --"

"--The ESSENCE of SPRING, you wretched little letch, and you KNOW it. I come seeking guidance from all who are willing to give it, not just you. I have no time for your usual trifling, and I trust you WILL apologize to poor Aellyllo when she comes around--"

Just then, there was a rustling of leaves, then the sound of a swift wind and an unmistakable little high-pitched yelp.

"Aellyllo, wait! Don't run away!" Elo'Dien pleaded. But that's precisely what the terrified spirit did, and with blazing haste, screaming all the way. "You didn't get your tree sa--oh...oh, Aellyllo..."

"Bah, she will find her way home in a hundred moons or so, give or take a branchful. And what a fantastic tale she will have to tell of all her adventures in..the...

...great...beyond. *Ahem*...there is surely no harm in an innocent jest, yes? Yes? ...Yes...?"

Little did they know, but one being found MUCH harm and annoyance in Balwyn's "innocent" little prank, and she was about to descend upon them with a fury.

"KHHEEEEEEEE!!!! By the Ancients, I will wrench every limb from your shriveled mass with my bare teeth!!! You DARE disturb my slumber you vexatious FOOL!!!"

Elo'Dien was beyond exasperated herself. "I will miss the equinox surely at this laggard pace..."

Thalia, the dominant feril female of the great forest, was by nature a touchy one, her anger easily triggered by the slightest aggravation. Though she mostly lived harmoniously with the tree spirits, she absolutely DESPISED Balwyn and had threatened to tear him limb from limb on more than one occasion...daily. "It is not enough that you have that silly mare shrieking through my woods, KHHHHEEEEEE, but your incessant cackling bores a tunnel through my skull!!! I will bear no more, tree spirit!" Thalia roared at the now cowering prankster. "You will meet your end this day!!!"

"...Ah...I...oh...eh...p--please, feril, d--do not tear me limb from limb. I have precious few left--"

"--Silence! KHHEEEEE You are as good as dead you wretched bas--"

"--Hath no being among us a sense of humor--"

"--Humor yourself in the underworld as I shall send you there swiftly!"

Elo'Dien had had quite enough bickering for the time being. As Balwyn had precious few limbs left, she had precious little time. Her journey seemed to lag on and on...

"Thalia, I am in search of what Father has deemed the Essence of Spring. May I humbly ask for your guidance?" Helping Elo'Dien seemed to calm the enraged feril somewhat. Reflecting on what Elo'Dien had told her of Evodre's words, her only advice was to speak with Lita, the spirit of the Realm of Fire. Balwyn agreed, explaining that long ago, Lita crafted a flower in resemblance of the sun to give as a gift to Mithrel the flower nymph. Mithrel was able to beautify her bountiful gardens with them, imbibing the flowers with magical essence.

"A flower...? I do not know...Evodre suggests that the Essence is something complex yet simple, and that I must look for the deeper meaning, and also the most simple. How can that be a flower? My spring gardens are bountiful with them as it is."

The tree spirit explained further. "Is it not Mithrel who tends to your blossoms each spring? The sunflower is her favored one. Alas, I am afraid that is all the guidance I can give...I do not have a prayer with that deranged feline after me. Please do not let the feril tear off my limbs -- I need them so..."

"Oh, Balwyn...I must visit you more -- you are in desperate need of a kind friend. But I will not if you continue to behave so shamelessly--"

"--I will be on my most sincere and chaste honor! And bring your sister Hestya, will you? How I enjoy every inch of her warm beauty..."

Thalia's rage resurfaced with great speed. "Go, Vernal spirit. Or do not. It is of no consequence to me. For now I say...

...be gone with you so that I might be alone with this infernal Tree..."

It appeared to Elo'Dien that more than one deity in the vast realm of Ei'nalem was incensed by a mind-numbingly aggravating spirit. She arrived in Lita's fiery domain only to find the Guardian in a searing rage.

"By the Fires of my Father, I will have her neck! How I HATE that silly, irritating mare!!!" No other being in the great beyond could possibly invoke such frustration in anyone except for Aellyllo, especially in one so temperamental as Lita. She, too, was family to Elo'Dien. Her father Helios, the supreme Guardian of the Realm of Fire and of the Sun, was brother to Anteres, Elo'Dien's father, and, as of late, task master.

The spring spirit cautiously inquired about Lita's woe, and she was told a passionate tale of a frightened, manic being who rambled for ages about how she was nearly devoured by a tree and had swept through many realms in pursuit of a path home. Aellyllo especially enjoyed visiting Lita and was completely oblivious to the fact that she drove the fire Guardian to distraction.

"You poor soul...I have great sympathy for you," Elo'Dien managed, straining to hold back a well of laughter.

Lita sighed and calmed herself a bit, a searing torrent of demonic aura still swirling furiously about her. "'Tis not true hate that I feel for that little imp...I took on this form simply to frighten her away, and she ran as swiftly as her wind could take her. Perhaps I acted hastily...I shall at least rejuvenate myself."

Elo'Dien watched as Lita's blazing, terrifying crimson form exploded in a furious storm of fire and white hot light, brilliantly ascending to a slightly more serene one, or at least as serene as she could muster. She had heard of Elo'Dien's plight from Evodre and was prepared for the visit. The Vernal spirit posed Balwyn's theory of the sunflower, which Lita quickly dismissed.

"That is preposterous. One single flower is not worthy of the quest that the Patrantehr has set forth for you, Spring. You are, after all, the eternal seeder of all blooms. Surely you would have before now sensed such an Essence among your own blossoms. I agree wholeheartedly with Evodre -- the answer is much simpler than you know, and full of meaning."

For the very first time, Elo'Dien began to slowly comprehend the true meaning of those words. It still was not crystal clear to her, but had a faint resonance of understanding.

"You have been most kind and gracious, Lita. I thank you for your words," said Elo'Dien with a warm smile. And it was not, surprisingly enough, from the scorching heat of the domain.

"I have done nothing, cousin. YOU, however, have healed my wrenched spirit, and for that I thank YOU. I advise you to journey to the Aquos Realm and visit the sea-dwellers. Namoein has a very powerful seer that may reveal your answers. I must say, it is good to visit with you again. 'Tis been far too long, Spring."

Elo'Dien felt a pang of guilt. It wasn't the first time she had heard that statement on her long journey. "...On my honor, I will see more of you, cousin."

"Until the equinox, then. I shall see you....and that...mare...at the Gathering Place!"

By the time Elo'Dien reached the great undersea archway of the immortals, she was more weary than she could remember being in a great long time. The temperate waters enveloped her in an oasis of serene blue for as far as the eye could see, and it was a soothing and tranquil distraction, if only momentarily, from her arduous task of finding the Essence of Spring in time.

The state of travelling under water was of no consequence to the immortal deity. In fact, she usually reveled spending days in the quiet solitude of the sea depths with her friends and extended family, but, as all were quick to point out, she had not been the best company as of late. That was a matter she intended on rectifying with much haste. Her visit to the watery realm had not gone unnoticed -- a dear young friend had sensed Elo'Dien's arrival from the start, and her eagerness at nosing about quickly took her away from her creature companions.

If her intuition was correct, Elo'Dien's visit surely had something to do with the equinox and the assembly at the Gathering Place. Cayehya's intuitions were NEVER wrong.

With her natural swimming speed, she raced to the great archway just in time to see Elo'Dien enter.

"Mother has been expecting you, you know," she mocked after watching her friend for a time. "Have you no springtime preparations to make? The equinox draws near, and all of Ei'nalem look to you for a bountiful Gathering."

Elo'Dien immediately recognized her young cousin's playful taunting and chose to dismiss it.

"The vernal equinox will be the most spectacular yet," echoed a familiar voice from just beyond the archway.

"It always has been. Hello, Elo'Dien. I have not caught sight of you in far too many ages."

Elo'Dien was very comforted by Namoein's warm welcome. She wasted little time explaining her plight and told of her lengthy travels through the great lands.

"By the waters of Galeya, you have done much these many days. I offer whatever aid I can, and with swift haste. If Celeste and Helios have not offered guidance to you, there is little reason to believe that mother Galeya will, either. Evodre and Lita are wise and I find myself in agreement with them. Come -- we shall peer into the seer. It is time you found your answers."

Namoein guided Elo'Dien to the watery depths of a sacred lair accessible only through a series of caves and narrow passageways. The sea goddess only peered into the seer in the most dire of circumstances, and she was more than willing to do so now. For the first time in her long trek, Elo'Dien felt that the answers she desperately sought were within her grasp.

"By the tides of my Mother, nurturer of life, sage of intuition and sight, reveal to me the Essence of Spring..." At Namoein's commandment, the blessed seer exploded in a torrent of ethereal light and rippling magical essence. Its wondrous glow illuminated the entire cavern, and slowly Elo'Dien began to see an image taking shape within the sparkling sphere.

It was a spring tree in full bloom. And it was a field of blossoms. It was a bird, then two, then a snowflake and a rainshower. It was a gleaming smile, then a woeful tear. Soon, images from Elo'Dien's own memories swirled furiously within until they merged into one great white light. The seer returned to its dormant state, leaving a baffled spring Guardian to piece together some meaning.

"This vision is for you alone, Elo'Dien," said Namoein with unwavering calm. "What you saw is what you were meant to see and understand. The answer lies before you -- there is no need to ponder -- simply embrace it. Think of nothing, and think of everything."

The Vernal realm was in a much more joyous state than Elo'Dien had left it. It seemed that every bird's song was that much sweeter, every ray of light from the sun above pierced that much brighter between the masses of pastel trees. Her soul was relieved beyond words to finally be home, to be in her comforting land where some things still made sense.

As she re-entered her sanctuary, Elo'Dien heard the loving, familiar sound of her sisters' laughter. She had been sorely missed, and each was eager to learn if her travels bore any fruit.

With each tender greeting and comforting embrace, Elo'Dien felt more at ease. She was as eager to tell her tale as her sisters were to hear it.

In the end, each had her own take on the process as a whole:

Paeda felt a hint of resentment towards their father for sending Elo'Dien on what seemed to be a senseless, fruitless quest. She did, however, acknowledge the significance of wrenching the spring spirit out of her recent isolation.

Censae felt sympathy for her sister's woes, but reminded her that at the very least she was able to enjoy a refreshing, albeit lengthy, journey through the realms of Ei'nalem -- something she had not experienced in a very long time.

Hestya still believed that the Patrantehr had good reason to send Elo'Dien on such a trek for guidance. The Vernal Guardian normally had unwavering faith and trust in Anteres, and though that foundation of trust was being tested, it remained solid even while cloaked in uncertainty and doubt. Hestya was overjoyed that Elo'Dien had rekindled fading relationships with her far off friends and family. That was one of the most important things she could have gained from the entire ordeal.

Elo'Dien, who since the beginning of her quest had found little to be positive about, had to agree with all of those assessments. She had reconnected with her loved ones, taken in the majestic beauty of the lands, and no longer felt the weighty sense of isolation that she had suffered from in recent times. Soon, the notion of an Essence of Spring didn't really mean much -- truth be told, it didn't mean anything at all. And yet it meant so much in that the Essence had inadvertently released her from a murky, disturbing, and quite unfamiliar state.

Or, perhaps NOT so inadvertently.

A wayward little mare found herself in a seemingly undiscovered realm. Her recent travels throughout Ei'nalem had been quite an experience, and she was acquainted with strange and wonderful new places, though she had visited said places numerous times before. This sweet-scented, colorful world was but another familiar yet unfamiliar place, and she couldn't wait to meet its inhabitants.

Fortunately for Aellyllo, she had known the inhabitants for all the ages of her life, and their faces brought swift and joyous recollection to her. She had many thoughts racing through her mind, though one in particular stood out.

"What fun I have had traversing through the open lands in search of my home!" she said gleefully. "I have heard glowing acknowledgments from the deities about you, cousin Elo'Dien. All have enjoyed you warmly and look so very forward to the Gathering Time! I do as well -- it would be great sport to fill the purity fountains with Firebeast uri--"

"--You would not DARE with Evodre in sight!" Paeda laughed heartily. Censae could only smile, Hestya merely shook her head, and Elo'Dien...

"It will be a perfect Gathering," she said peacefully. "Such a simple and wondrous thing..."

It was at that moment that Elo'Dien could finally stand tall with a most relieving realization:

Anteres had, in some sense, sent his daughter on a bogus journey. He commanded she go to the great lands to FIND something. And what she was beginning to discover was that the very thing she had been searching so tirelessly for had been near and dear to her all along. The Essence of Spring wasn't about charms or stones or spells; it wasn't even about flowers and birds and trees. The true Essence of spring was in each and every being. It was in a kind gesture, in a shared laugh among friends, in a warm hug among family. It was the serenity of a relaxing slumber, and the spiritedness of a revitalizing travel. The Essence was and had always been right there among them and it resided in Elo'Dien always, so long as she was receptive to it. Fretful thoughts of the coming equinox had closed her spirit to it, yet it at last revealed itself.

Elo'Dien finally understood the wise guidance given to her, how the Essence was so simple yet profoundly meaningful. She glimpsed the answer in the seer; all things come together at once until they are but one bright shining light. The Essence of Spring was everything and everywhere. This was precisely the discovery that Anteres had wished for his daughter, and he was immensely gladdened that she had come to realize it.

She had no need to share this revelation with her sisters for they could sense it in her aura. The only task remaining was preparation for the gathering, especially in the realm of attire.

Paeda glimmered with wanton excitement. "There is not a single warrior in all the lands who will not fall under my summer charms this Gathering. Let the festivities commence!"

And so it was in that time of that age that Elo'Dien, the eternal Guardian of Spring, invoked the vernal equinox and so began spring in Ei'nalem.

The great and powerful deities of the far realms travelled to the Gathering Place and came together in harmony. It was a time of reverence and joyful mirth...

...a time of serene beauty far and wide...

...longtime friends expressed endearing sentiments...

...and families enjoyed the Vernal splendor in quiet reflection...

...the air was alive with frolicking sport...

...and the boisterous laughter of harmless trickery...

...new love bloomed alongside tender blossoms...

...and familiar bonds were strengthened evermore.

It was the most perfect emergence of spring that Elo'Dien could have possibly asked for and then some. Anteres gave his full blessings for a bountiful and beautiful one, and the rebirthed Vernal Guardian took in the wondrous majesty of the Spring of Ei'nalem.

Well, that's the end! Thank you so much for reading my very first completed story. It was a loooong, tedious process, but it was worth it.

I must give credit to the phenomenal custom content creators out there without whom most of this story would not have been remotely possible. These great creations can be found at MTS2, Rosesims2, TSR, Glamsims, and too many other places to name. Thank you eternally!