History-- Aurora and Eventide

[Diana]

Aurora and Eventide were sisters. Two ordinary, everyday humans who, like so many others, lived out their lives in Windlyn.

The pair was as close as could be. They were rarely seen apart. Eventide was known for her beauty and cleverness, Aurora for her spunk and kindheartedness. Together, they seemed to make up a perfect being. One’s faults was the other’s strong points. The two’s lives were so closely intertwined, there was an unbreakable bond always pulling them together.

Eventide, the older of the two, grew into a most stunning woman. When she walked down the street, all heads would turn towards her. Her presence brought a smile to everyone’s face. Anyone would claim she was smart, beautiful, popular, and lucky; she lived a charmed life. The young woman married a man she and Aurora knew from their childhood. The couple lived happily and were the envy of their hometown, especially the envy of Aurora. She had fancied this man, herself, but he was perfect for Eventide, and she was perfect for him. Aurora was not one to stand in the way. She would do anything for her sister-- even break her own heart. She gave them her blessing and threw away her feelings for him.

Through the years one particular entity began to take notice of Eventide-- Death.

Death fell in love with Eventide, and wanted her for himself. He knew that his wishes could not be granted so easily and he resorted to watching her closely. He was not cruel, at least he didn’t think so. He would not kill her husband and take her that way, because it was not the man’s time yet. Instead, Death slowly stole Eventide’s attention and affection by meeting with her in the disguise of a charming human.

Despite his efforts to pull her away, however, Eventide remained faithful. Years later, she and her husband came to expect a child. Death, horribly disappointed by his failure, his inability to steal this woman’s heart, pulled himself away and hid for months.

Eventide was due to have her baby in a matter of days when Fate reached out to Death with a declaration that upon giving birth, Eventide would die.

In the middle of the night, Death slipped down to the quiet lands of Windlyn with a heavy heart. Not only was he never able to win over Eventide, he was going to have to take her in the worst of ways-- against her will.

When the midwife’s back was turned, Death crept into the room and looked over Eventide’s exhausted face. Even though it was twisted in pain. her body straining to bring forth new life, she was still beautiful. Unable to resist, Death gently caressed her cheek, and as he did so, Eventide let out her last breath.
Once Death laid a hand upon the woman he fell in love with, Eventide the mortal died.
Death panicked. He didn’t mean to take her yet. Not so soon. He held her consciousness in his hand-- her awareness, her memories. Everything that made Eventide the woman she was. He quickly had to find somewhere to put her. He couldn’t just let her go. He wouldn’t.
Death ran outside to find where to embed the woman. It was difficult to see in the dark to find an object, so he threw her up into the sky and the essence of her life was transformed and reborn as the goddess of the night-- the moon.
From then on, Eventide ruled over all of Windlyn as the moon, illuminating the darkness.
When Eventide died, her infant son came with her. Death, devastated that he had taken the child, placed him near his Mother so that he became the brightest star in the sky. Every night, the star-child would be the first to appear,so that he would always be close to his Mother.

Eventide ruled alongside Death and the other gods; jealously watching over her husband and her sister who still lived down on Windlyn. She had to leave that place and was stuck ruling over a realm where no one could see her, and most slept through her beauty.

Aurora was devastated and heartbroken over the loss of her older sister, and couldn’t accept she was just gone. She could feel Eventide was near, so she, alongside Eventide’s husband, fought to find the new goddess.

The god of Life, who knew of Death’s actions, took pity on Aurora. Life could not change the course of events. Eventide’s time was over. Instead, he offered her to come to the Otherworld for three days, to look for her sister, and say her goodbyes. But because she was mortal, that was all Life could offer her.

It wasn’t until the third day that Aurora found her sister. Death had quickly caught on to a mortal being in the Otherworld, and threw her many misdirections and obstacles. As much as Death had tried to keep her away, over the fear of Eventide leaving him and the realm which she ruled over, Aurora and her sister met. No matter how much Aurora pleaded and tried to convince Eventide to come back with her, the goddess couldn’t. A god can only disguise themselves, they cannot become a human. They could spend time on Windlyn for short moments, but too much time would cause a rift in the world’s scales. Eventide could not bear to visit the mortal world so few and far between the years-- to idly sit by and watch her grow, while she herself could never age again, and lamented her pain and loss to her sister. Aurora promised Eventide that she would find a way so that the two sisters never had to be apart again.

Aurora spent a few more years in the mortal world blossoming into a vivacious woman. She often called upon Life to ask to visit her sister. But to make sure no harm is done, a mortal may only spend three days a year at most in the Otherworld, for Aurora this wasn’t enough. It wasn’t long before she realized she was in love with Life. The young woman would summon him down to her. At first she would be under pretenses to plea for extra time to visit her sister, even when she knew she could not, just to have reason to talk to the god. Eventually, she would hail him just for his company.

One day, Aurora realised she was almost the age of her sister when she had been taken away. So, before she aged beyond the mortal Eventide, Aurora called upon Life one more time, and asked the greatest favour. Aurora asked Life to marry her, so that she could live in the Overworld as a god, and be with him and Eventide.

Life, who had been watching over all of the universe could not help but take notice of Aurora. He had quickly taken fancy to the radiant woman, and was deeply moved by her plight and determination to be with her sister, and he readily agreed. He brought Aurora to the Overworld. To coincide with her sister, and because of Aurora’s determination, Life made Aurora the goddess of the Sun and the day. Aurora was happy, but she missed Windlyn and its people. So every day she would sit in the sky as high as she could, to see as far across the world as possible, and fill the inhabitants with courage and happiness, so that they too, would fulfill their hopes and dreams.

Aurora and Eventide rule over the sky together now. However, they are only able to meet every morning and evening as they switch places to watch over Windlyn. Aurora felt that those brief moments weren’t enough, at the end of her first year as a goddess, she pushed herself into the night, desperate to celebrate with her sister. By doing so, she caused an incredible display of coloured lights to fill the dark skies-- the borealis. The inhabitants of Windlyn were entranced by the phenomenon, and as no harm was done, the gods relented and Aurora was allowed to repeat her visit and spend ten consecutive days with her sister at the same time every year.