The Six Seasons

The **Six Seasons**, also as **Ritus**, are spirits that represent the six seasons in the Indian calendar. They are Spring (Vasanta), Summer (Grishma), Monsoon (Varsha), Autumn (Sharada), Pre-winter (Hemanta), and Winter (Shishira). The Seasons reside in the Court of the Seasons, and make a brief appearance in *Aru Shah and the End of Time*.

## The Pandava Quintet

### Aru Shah and the End of Time

Aru Shah, Mini Kapoor-Mercado-Lopez, and Boo travel to the Court of the Seasons while they are looking for armor, weapons, and the second key to the Kingdom of Death. At first, Winter, Spring, Summer, and Monsoon reject the trio, believing them to be unworthy of their time. Aru comes up with an idea to get the Seasons to help them. She has Mini conjure up sunglasses and hats, tells her and Boo to act like snobby celebrities, and then drops the fact that they're Pandavas as the three of them walk away. The Seasons hear this and immediately apologize to the Pandavas for not recognizing them earlier, offering to create armor and protection for the girls.

Winter conjures up a bracelet that will freeze anything it is thrown onto. Spring creates a box of petit fours, which she says are bites of rest and rejuvenation. Monsoon gifts Aru a necklace that will be able to hit anything no matter how far away, although she warns Aru that regret will follow her after she throws it. Summer creates a headband that will cause anyone wearing it, except a Pandava, to forget something very important, and gives it to Mini.

Later, Aru and Mini use these gifts against the Sleeper when they are confronted by him after obtaining the bite of adulthood.

### Aru Shah and the Song of Death

#### All By Mah-Selllf (Bonus Chapter)

The Seasons are mentioned to have created the decorations for the Halloween middle school dance that Aru, Mini, Brynne Rao and Aiden Acharya attend. Winter and Pre-Winter had created a sparkling floor made of ice and ice skeletons that had been enchanted to dance the Macarena. Spring had conjured up thick vines that crisscrossed into a dome dotted with flowers over the ice rink. Monsoon had conjured up the many fountains that lined the paths, and Summer had created a banner that read: ENJOY THIS BRIEF RESPITE FROM YOUR CRUSHING MORTALITY.

## Appearance

Each Season has a different appearance based on the season they represent. Winter appears as a pale-skinned man with frosted hair and silver eyes. He wears a shiny blazer that is made entirely of ice. Summer has bright gold hair and skin that is the color of a smoldering ember. They wear a tunic of flames, and occasionally change their facial features between masculine and feminine because, as Summer says, hotness does not belong to any one gender. Summer has a "blazing smile". Monsoon is a gray-skinned woman who appears to be soaked to the bone. Spring has vines crawling across her skin and flowers in her hair. Her mouth is a rose.

## Personality

All of the seasons hold themselves in high regard and think few people are worth their time. They refuse to help Aru and Mini, saying that they only make clothes for the most fabulous of beings. When Aru and Mini are first trying to talk to the Seasons, they refuse to look the Pandavas in the eye and instead address the space right next to their face. It is only after Aru and Mini prove they are Pandavas that the Seasons begin to take notice of them, and become very eager to please them and gain their approval.