//------------------------------//
// Appendices 
// Story: Fey Breeze 
// by Masterweaver 
//------------------------------//


The Seven Bonds



A traditional Breezie song, as translated by P-Fluttershy of Cloudsdale

Remember ye the seven ways the soul can twist and bind

Ne'er forget the truth of things where'r wence your path wind

Each has power, each has give, and learn them well you must

No matter the power of the ones to whom ye give the trust.

Earth tis hard to convince, and harder still to change

Foundation of all that one is, do not ye rearrange

Save for strength, for purest grant, for singer of the land

And even then, only grant to those with gentle hand.

Water flows through us all, no matter where we shall go

The greatest hearts can ride the waves and alter fate's very flow

Ware, though, lest ye forget the fickle core of life

And ever find yourself caught in another's strife.

Fire roars and twists and burns, ne'er stopping in its path

Till at last its feed is done and ends its nameless wrath

These pacts be brief, and quickly made, never do otherwise

Lest ye become the very thing your brother now despise.

Air binds us all to common realm, a joy in every breath

And those without air or its bind shall slowly suffer death

Yet soft is she, so gentle be, and only reach you out

When the need for healing is around with not a single doubt.

Song and laughter, screams and cries, the shadows of the night

Bring hope and fear, doom and joy, wonderment and fright

Wary are many of this power, and wary they should be

For the greatest secrets is what in truth they'll see.

Light and color may seem, to you, as calm as summer's day

And there is some truth to those who think this way

But ne'er forget that seeing one may blind you to another

So only take this path for dearest friend or brother.

And so at last we come to this, the highest of the self

And I say never bind! For goodness or for wealth!

Thought and magic and your core are one the same and true

If this one you give away, no longer shall you be you.

Around you see the many, the choices they have made,

The twists their bindings gave and the games that they have played

Go ye, child, to one realm or other, and choose your bindings well

To greatest glory triumph! Or to utter ruin be fell.







Fae and its Inhabitents


The realm of the fae lies between Earth and Equestria, and in fact most coherent universes. Unlike either, it's not one solid sphere; it's a sort of spiderweb network of nexuses and tunnels, hard to understand and harder to navigate, where time and space are more intertwined than usual. Getting caught in the land of the fae is a very bad idea; you could make it back to either Equestria or Earth, but it's a gamble. The inhabitants are... form-fluid. On Equestria, they appear ponylike. On Earth, they appear humanlike. But in both cases there are obvious differences, although glamours can be applied to make the differences less obvious.

There are four Courts and two Kingdoms--though, really, that's not a direct translation. Courts are more akin to different tribes by pony reckoning, and the Kingdoms might be seen as political parties by Amareicans. This is only further confused by the fact that Fay's forms will alter when they make specific pacts with non-Fay, as their physical bodies in the world are more affected by magical change than that of natives. They're a very unstable race, all things told, but one thing they are very good at is making contracts.

The Spring Court is comprised of Breezies, Brownies, Pixies, Sprites--basically, if you think "I can fit this in my hand," this is where it goes. The Autumn Court has Leprechauns, Dwarfs, Goblins, Gremlins... short, stout, and strong. The Winter Court, that's Elves, Pookas, Banshees, Wraiths--the ones most that usually pass for human or pony at a glance. Then there are the big hitters, the Summer Court: Ogres, Trolls, Giants, Rockmen. Each court, if unbound, can have their physical form "unwoven" by a specific substance, forcing them back into faemist; the Spring Court fears salt, the Autumn Court detests silver, the Winter Court has cold iron (known as aluminum to humans), and the Summer Court just hates iron period.

The native magics of the Fay are generally very specialized--the spring court affects the land, the autumn court crafts wondrous object, the winter court works with glamours and words, and the summer court is the most destructive of the bunch. However, they can all make pacts--i.e., take their sparks (what some people call chakras) out of themselves and exchange them with another, under various spelled conditions. These pacts allow them to gain each other's abilities and, furthermore, affect their forms depending on the specific spark exchanged. Pacts can be made with humans or ponies or other world-native creatures; this Binds the pact maker to the realm until such a time as the pact is broken, and furthermore allows them direct access to the magic of the world which, in their conniving hands, can have some serious consequences.

As such, Fay are understandably very cautious about who they bind with, and extremely strict about enforcing their pacts. Someone who breaks their word is a thief of self, and is treated appropriately. Factor in that switching sparks around leads to some mental imbalance, and the situation is a volatile mess waiting to blow up constantly. This has led to numerous instances where formerly friendly Fay suddenly attack their companions, or a former foe grants a gift for no apparent reason, or a wish is granted with no comprehension to its meaning. In order to regulate this to some degree, the courts have formed two separate "Kingdoms;" a kingdom enforces strict rules and harsh punishments to its citizens, but at the same time protects them from outside interference.

The Kingdoms, Seelie and Unseelie, are really two different viewpoints of the fae's relation to the realms outside. One views the inhabitants of the realm as livestock; the other as deer to be hunted for magic. The debate of how "equal" to the Fay others should be is sometimes brought up, but it's not a matter of policy so much as personal regard; in general, the Fay are concerned more with gathering and utilizing the unique magics of others to their purposes than they are about the life and health of the individual. There are exceptions, those outside the kingdoms, who genuinely care for the other realms; most Fay consider these individuals to be untrustworthy, as they are not bound to follow the rule of truth, but their amicable relation to otherrealms renders them too useful to be eliminated.

In general, Fay see mortal universes as regions to be harvested; land is brought up into their twisting realm, plants and animals and unlucky souls claimed by their conquest. While they do usually mark the bastions where they cross over, it's not always clear; unlucky mortals have stumbled in and out of fae realms throughout history, and depending on how deep they went found wondrous and terrifying things. Fae rings serve as more controlled gateways, as opposed to the 'bridging' of bastions; functionally, the only difference is that the gate guardian has to actually open and close the door, but it does provide a way to operate without attracting the attention of the locals.

Across the multiverse there are instances of Fay 'settling down,' whether willingly or not, in specific universes. After a few generations, these splinter groups generally forget about the realm of fae, having adapted to their local universe; these 'fey' are considered by the Fay to be akin to savages, and generally avoided (although crafty Fay will exploit fey for their own advancement in the fae). Due to interbreeding, both with other courts and native locals, fey tend to vary wildly in appearance, but they always have a keen sense of whatever magic their ancestors specialized in and how to manifest it in the world.

Of course, the Fay are not the only inhabitants of the fae; there are various other species, bizarre and unusual, whisking about the network of nexuses between the worlds. Some are imported by the fae, others wandered in by accident, and a few spawned in the region itself; there are plants that hunt for soil, creatures whose magic distorts the local locale, elemental beings slithering and scorching their way through. It is little wonder that the Fay see themselves as greater then any in a stable universe; true, there are more outright powerful beings, but the cunning and wit that keeps them alive in that crazed nonsense is exulted through thieving from gods themselves.






Translations, derived from Tel'Quessir:


Siripat sulat.
Literally: Flow-drink other wind.
Drown in farts.

Atar amin naa sinome. Lle raktuva amin, maaramin namo vanya.
Literally:  Father I am here. You arrive at me, my worth judge fair.
Father, I am here. Approach me and judge my worth fairly.

Verne'melamin
Literally: Wife my love
My lovely wife

Mirilien kuruni
Literally: Glittering witch
Glittering witch (not all insults are creative)

Wethrinaer
Literally: Deceitful One
A term referring to those without a kingdom.






Epilogue


The reflected light of the moon slid through the window as she stared, unblinking, at the ceiling. Her long, pointed ears might have twitched once or twice, but to an observer she was lost to the outside world. Only the slow rise and fall of her masterfully crafted chest indicated she was still alive.

A sound, then. A sound in the middle of the night, a gentle growl that grew closer and cut off. It was much like many other such sounds, all too common to this world, but for one to come at this time...

Her lips curled into a smile.

She couldn’t move in vibrant arcs anymore, but this body was familiar enough that she still had grace and poise as she rose, striding to the window. The gentle thwacks of rubber soles on gravel, barely audible to any who wasn’t expecting it, whispered through her ears to her mind, and her smile grew briefly smug as a familiar silhouette broke the moonlight’s constant. She turned to face the door, leaning against the wall, one hand in the crook of her arm while the other’s finger gently circled her cheekbone.

She still held the pose seven minutes later, when the door’s bolt slid open and the hinges swung wide.

“Truly, you are a clever pet.”

Indigo Zap smiled, brief but genuine. “Thank you mistress. Come on quick, I cut the power to the building but I don’t know how long it will take them to realize it’s out.”

Winter Lights followed her out, glancing about the shadowed corridors. “A place of worship with such little protection... how little do they value their faith if they do not guard against sabotage?”

"They don't think anyone would dare. And I don't blame them, Sunset's pretty powerful." The girl led her through a small room. "And to be fair, I didn't do anything really terrible. Cutting the power takes some planning and tools, but it's not irreversible. Sort of why we need to get out quickly."

The two of them maneuvered through the rest of the building in silence, moonlight streaming through the occasional window. It wasn't until they approached the final exit that Indigo slowed.

Winter Lights quirked an eyebrow. "Whatever is the matter, pet?"

"I.... I was just wondering." Indigo swallowed. "Forgive my impertinence mistress, but... I was wondering if... if we could share a bond."

Winter sighed. "I am bound to this form. Though I may find a way to... reweave in the future, for the moment my chains prevent such pacts."

"Oh." Indigo took a breath, turning around to face her. "I... I know I shouldn't doubt you, but... I just... I need to know. Why did you share a bond with Zephyr? Why didn't you... why didn't you ever share a bond with me?"

"My dear, clever pet, you could offer me so much. What could I possibly have ever given you in return? An uneven exchange is unfair." A blue finger traced down her cheek. "No, even when you were flawed, you were too amazing to take apart. That is why I denied myself your prizes, never doubt it."

Indigo Zap shivered, a smile flickering across the face. "I... thank you, mistress. You... you are glorious, though. I just thought--"

"That you credit me so is truly an honor. And yes, I am glorious... but perhaps, not as much as you shall be."

For a moment, Indigo was unable to even speak, her mind so bedazzled by the praise that she gave a long sigh.

Then, with reddened cheeks, she turned to the final door and opened it. "I, uh, came here on my dad's motorcycle. There's room for two, but I'm not sure where we should go--"

"You should go home."

Indigo blinked as Winter strode past her. "What? But--"

"Can you truly survive, running from a goddess? I can. I know how to hide, how to appear other then I am. Even in this form, I still have my glamours--though it took effort to hide that from her." Winter Lights ran her hand over the metal. "You, however... you are bold and daring, a beacon even in darkness. Were I to wish war upon the gods, I would have you by my side. For the moment, however, you serve best by serving yourself, and serve yourself best by being among your kin."

"Oh. So... is... this goodbye?"

Winter Lights paused, her hand on the seat of the motorcycle.

"...Of all of magic's crafts," she replied, "there are some who would say love is the greatest of glamours. In most realms it cannot exist in measurement, yet it is easily observed through many. It is formed not of that which is, but only that which could be. From nothing, and as nothing, and affecting nothing save the mind and soul, like many illusions and trickeries; yet unlike most, love moves from being unreal to becoming reality."

She turned, smiling faintly as she found Indigo Zap had moved close to her. "For the moment, yes, this is goodbye. But the future is yet unwoven, and it is up to us to weave it. I cannot make pact or bond, but those are not the only agreements we may reach."

"I... would be okay with an agreement," Indigo managed, trying to keep her breath level as she stared into Winter's golden eyes.

"Let us say this, then; that we not merely change as time goes on, but that we grow. That each of us becomes more of ourselves, in power and in personality, no matter what fates befall. That when next we meet, we shall be more worthy of each other, in the end. Can this promise be one we make, my dear pet?"

"Yes. I... I promise to do my best, to be the best for you... and myself."

Winter Lights cupped the chin of Indigo Zap and bent gently down, her lips brushing against that of the pale girl in the dappled moonlight. "Then our covenant is made."

After a moment, she released her, and swung her long leg over the motorcycle in one smooth motion. "Fare you well, my clever pet." With a flick of her finger, the engine revved up, and she rode into the night.