Fey Breeze

Chapters

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Appendices

Winter

Chill winds gathered round the palace, whispers on the breeze, and then together wound in song and dance. Within were many of dress, and dress became form, and form became personage. And personage bowed, gathered, each clan represented.

Court was convened. And with it, the first illusion, the truth of image without form. One stood forward--murmurs, whispers, though this one kept low.

"What bring you, that impedes our song? What bring you that first must be heard? Arrogance shall not be rewarded."

"I bring you song, old and new. I bring you dance of realms long lost. I bring you the magic awakened again."

Murmurs again, greater still, till the highest gestured for calm. "You speak of the lost world. The dead world."

"Dead no more."

"Show us."

The one extended, flowed, and from them came the image that could not be falsified of what had been seen. The flying free. The power deep. The light weavers. These and more, every one once but mundane. And yet more, events only possible to those who could sing and dance.

The murmurs rose, waves of wonder and curiosity. The highest, again, gestured for silence.

"...You have seen this?"

"Yes. Though I but peered."

"The import cannot be denied. Our court convened, we shall discuss."

And so the dance began, cautious, speculative. And none did see the small bright robe fall to the ground, none did notice the tinyest gust whisk away from the palace, afor it was far too late to find again.

"Man. My life sucks."

"Do tell."

"Huh?" The auqamarine teenager looked up, only belatedly noticing the icy blue beauty leaning against a wall. "Oh! Hey. Wow, I must be really out of it, to miss something as lovely as you."

"Oh, I know. The woes of reality can blind us all." The girl's golden eyes were sympathetic. "Why, just this morning, I found somebody had gathered all my things up into a single bag!"

"You got kicked out of your house?" The gangly boy gasped. "That's terrible!"

"It would be, if I hadn't had the good fortune to run into somebody who could help me." The girl pouted. "You can... help me, right?"

The boy sighed, rubbing his pale blonde hair. "I'd like too, but... look, I left my sister hanging, and after that my mom's been super lock-down. I can't even have my smart-phone, just a ten-year-old flipout." He kicked a rock. "It's... it's a long story."

"Well... so long as we're suffering, we can suffer together." The girl breezed off the wall, her white hair whisking as flurry behind her. "And who knows? With magic, many possibilities open up to us."

"Heh, yeah." He adjusted his shirt casually. "A lot of new opportunities. It's... it's a shame I can't really take advantage of them."

"Because of your mother's restraints?"

"No..." The boy slumped. "Look. Lady, you really don't want to be with me. I'm... a failure. There, I said it. Everything I've tried, I... I dropped it after a while. I find a talent, and then I just... I just have no skill."

"You lack conviction. Purpose..." The girl slipped a sympathetic hand around his shoulder. "One of the quieter tragedies of this day and age."

"Yeah. I wish I could help you, but—"

"Perhaps," the girl mused, "we could help each other."

"What?"

"I know a spell, a spell to give you a stronger heart. A will to move mountains. If I were to cast it upon you, perhaps... perhaps you could grant me residence in your home?"

"I... I dunno. I still live with my parents—"

"I need very little space. Surely there is a place that is used only for storage?"

"Well..." He rubbed his whiskery chin with a frown. "I mean... there's the shed where dad keeps his leaf collection. He's got leaves from all over the world--but--"

"I promise," the girl purred, "he wouldn't even know I was there."

"We don't even know each other's names!"

"Hmm." The girl pursed her lips. "...Winter Lights. That is what you may call me."

"I'm Zephyr Breeze."

"And it is a pleasure to meet you." She spun around, looking into his violet eyes. "Now... do we have an agreement?"

"I..." Zephyr winced. "This won't... hurt, or do weird things to me, right?"

"Oh, trust me, you won't even notice anything besides your newfound confidence."

After a moment, he nodded and stuck out his hand. "Count me in."

"Our pact is sealed."

Pure Vibrations had changed after the Saturation. What was once a kitschy new-age shop... was still, technically, a kitschy new-age shop. The shop and its owner had always taken itself seriously, but before magic returned there was a sense of confusion, bewilderment, as though there was something just out of reach and nobody could decide what exactly it was. Now, now there was a sense of purpose and direction--scattered shelves rearranged in round patterns, single pots of incense in each of seven sections, crystals forming a latticework of light that refracted color in soothing and precise manner. Before one could have entered, and merely shrugged. Now, crossing the threshhold, one would sense an invitation; an invitation to walk, and find oneself.

Fluttershy felt the invitation, and accepted. She meandered through the shop, her hand brushing the collection of stones on one shelf. From red to orange, she looked over the oils and soaps; from orange to yellow, she passed the candles and heatpads. In the green section, she paused, noting the various scented fresheners; her eyes were drawn to the top shelf, and the winged jewelry that rested there. Her brow furrowed, and she looked back; yes, there was jewelry atop all the shelves, each tailored to a specific theme. With a small smile, she took a piece worked to look like a butterfly, and moved on--into blue, where rested wind chimes, and indigo with its collection of crystals, and finally violet, a bookshelf with esoteric titles.

Her circle complete, she moved to the middle of the shop, absently realizing that she had plucked some items off the shelves and carried them even now in her hands. She let them fall onto the surface of the rounded reception desk, smiling gently. "Um... Tree Hugger?"

The green-skinned woman opened her eyes. "Fluttershy. Welcome back. Did you enjoy your journey through the cosmic realm?"

"...I only walked around the store."

"But it is part of the cosmos. Ergo, it is a cosmic realm."

Fluttershy giggled. "You have a point. Anyway, I... I just came in to get some things." She looked down and frowned. "Although some of this I actually wasn't planning on getting... why did I pick up this rock?"

Tree Hugger took the rock in question, examining it. "...Aaaaah. A mix of quartz and calcite." She clicked it between her fingers, giving Fluttershy a sly smile. "Common elements in soil."

"O...oh." The yellow-skinned girl coughed. "Um. I seriously don't know why..."

Tree Hugger's grin only grew.

"...okay, fine. You caught me." Fluttershy rubbed the back of her head. "I've been... putting soil on my feet whenever I shower."

"Nothing wrong with that," Tree Hugger assured her.

"But the last time I did--"

"You let yourself become unbalanced and unraveled, Shyshy. It's perfectly fine to enjoy something, so long as you don't let joy become the addiction."

"Still, if it wasn't for you... I'd probably still be a tree."

"It is my greatest cause to bring balance to the unbalanced. I've extended my assistance past the material realm, actually."

"You...." The yellow-skinned teenager leaned forward. "You're actually doing chakra therapy now?"

"Mmmhmm. I'll admit I haven't ever seen a case as bad as you were, but sometimes it's the best help I can provide."

"Well... I hope I don't need it anytime soon. Not that you're not good, I don't doubt you are! I just..."

"It's all good, Shyshy, I get it." Tree Hugger held up a finger, reaching under the counter. "As a matter of fact..."

Fluttershy gasped as she produced a flowerpot. "You... is that...?"

"The most nutritious, delicious, and growthalicious soil that I could find in the superstore." She handed it over. "Free of charge."

"I... wow." Fluttershy took in the musky scent, and hesitantly smiled. "I... didn't even know I would want this. But... thank you."

Tree Hugger gave her a wry smirk. "Don't tell anyone I gave you that pot."

"Wha--oh." Fluttershy shook her head with a small smile. "Treezie, seriously?"

"Hey, what can I say? Your pink friend's been hanging around with her sister, and I picked up a few things."

"Yes, Pinkie Pie does... rub off on people." Fluttershy put the pot down. "I'm still paying for the rest of this, though."

"Of course, of course. The flow of the material is as vital as the flow of the spiritual. That'll be... fifteen eighty seven."

"....So."

"Yes."

The figure shifted, looking into the stained-glass window of the palace. "This is an interesting move for her."

"But not, if I may, unexpected."

"Can you elaborate?"

"My lord, you are powerful and have proven your worth a thousand times over. Your daughter sees this, and so wishes to prove herself. Opportunity to do so is rare in this weave of the realm, but..."

"Ah. With the dead world singing again, there is much that could be done."

"Precisely so." The shorter figure gestured wide. "She has already made herself useful."

"Has she?"

"Word of the world, the differences, the sameness. She speaks of what is and is no longer. She has found shelter, and..."

"...and?"

The shorter figure bowed. "A bond, my lord."

For a moment, the song of wind and whisk was the only sound.

"Of what kind?"

"Water."

The taller figure nodded. "A fair bond, I shall admit. There was some worry she would bond by Fire first."

"Your daughter is many things, but foolish is not among them."

"Indeed. And with a bond, she cannot be unwoven. She does intend to stay in this world, does she not?"

"She has found shelter, and whispers even now to her patron. She will not be uprooted swiftly."

"I suppose, then, I shall leave her to it." The taller figure turned. "She knows the price of failure."

"Hey Winter!" Zephyr jokingly knocked on the door to the shed. "How're you doing?"

Winter tilted her head curiously at him. "How am I doing... what, precisely?"

"Wh--oh, no. It's slang. Shortened language, thing. I just... I want to know what's going on in your life, if you need anything, you know, typical friend stuff." Zephyr's smile faltered. "We are friends, right?"

"We share a bond," Winter allowed. "As for my current state, I would have to say... I am quite well, actually."

"Really? I mean, that's good to hear, but--" Zephyr gestured at the various leaves pinned and framed on the shelves. "I... kind of figured, you know, you might want more."

"Everyone always wants more. But to let want dominate, to let want overcome all thoughts, that way lies madness." Winter Lights smiled at him. "I have a place to rest, a bond to hold, and a task to complete. I am content, for the moment."

The teenager whistled low. "Well, that's actually good to hear. It sounds like you've got your life in order."

"Not hardly. Too much order is too little flexibility. I am no longer content, for instance."

"Well, that was abrupt."

"Indeed. Such is the way of things. Though I could rest, my body requires sustenance, and away I must go."

Zephyr chuckled. "Well, you sound a lot like one of Fluttershy's friends."

"Fluttershy... ah, your sister?"

"Yep. She's one of a kind."

"Hmm. Perhaps I shall meet her, one day." Winter Lights bowed. "For the moment, I must away, and seek that which shall fuel my form."

Zephyr rubbed the back of his head. "...I, uh... know a place with great... salads! Yeah."

"Yes?"

"We could go together. I mean, if you like. I may not have much money, but... you know, it's the weekend." He shrugged. "Have a little fun before going back to the dredge of school and work, right?"

Winter Lights considered him, her eyes absorbing the details of his expression.

"...Hmm. Yes, you would know the lay of the land... very well. Let us anon to shared meal."

"Great! It's a bit of a walk, but the day's pretty nice, so I don't think that's a problem."

"Assuredly not," Winter Lights replied. "We shall be as the wind itself."

Fluttershy hummed to herself as she glided over the park, a meandering tune that attracted little attention. A few other pegasus aspects were playing half-criffleball a distance away; she watched them flit about, and giggled when one floated to the ground petulantly after a ball had ended up glued to their shoulder. It was certainly a lovely day--

A strange chill brushed against her shoulders.

She blinked, looking around in confusion. Maybe one of the casters had let a spell out of bounds and hit her on accident? With a confused frown, she descended, allowing her feet to--

the scent of ice

Fluttershy jumped in surprise. "What...?" Her eyes darted around. "Is... somebody playing a prank on me? It's... not as bad as it could be, but... Hello?"

There didn't seem to be any response.

She shook her head. "I... I must be imagining things--"

She paused.

"...Oh, I've been listening to Pinkie Pie too much," she grumbled. "I can be imagining things, right? The universe still has some sort of randomness going on, not everything is a portent, right? Right."

With a firm nod, Fluttershy walked for the edge of the park

winter is coming

and whirled about. "Look, I don't know what you are or how you're doing this, but if you need my help can you at least ask directly?!"

The trees seemed to groan in reply.

"...Right. Right. Fine, I'll keep my eye out for snow, I guess." She threw up her hands. "Snow in the middle of spring."

the way is open

"Way, what way...? You know what, I'm just... I'm going to go before somebody catches me talking to thin air."

With a huff, Fluttershy stomped out of the park, never noticing the branches bending as she passed.

"Iron?" The tall figure tilted the object in his hand. "Or cold iron?"

"Not iron, definitely. Maybe cold iron. They call it aluminum."

"Hmm. What is contained within?"

"Sugary water, with flavors and chemical treatment."

The tall figure looked at the shorter. "...what."

"They've found a way to... extract it. Reforge it. It's so common, this is a disposable drink container." The short figure held up a hand. "Don't shake, the drink froths."

"Change... is to be expected, I suppose. It has been a long time since magic sang, and never has it sung like this."

"There is more. They have... I do not know how to explain it. It is like starfolk magic, only... not magic."

"Not magic?"

"Not how we describe it. If magic were to fall again, it would not be effected. It sings now too, with the new magic and old, but..."

The tall figure considered these words. "How common is this?"

"Very common. Households have it whisper through the walls. Carts without beasts move swiftly across great distances. Tiny bricks shout across the void to floating watchers. Sometimes this lets the bricks talk to each other."

"Have they... found the starfolk?"

"Winter has not said. But they did make a journey to the moon and back, before magic sang again."

"...if something is this common, there must be knowledge of it in their libraries. Take care, and find us the words of this not magic starfolk magic."

The shorter figure hesitated. "There is..."

"Yes?"

"There is... an invisible library," the shorter admitted. "Knowledge for all, from all, accessed with not magic, and... now that magic sings, there are creatures in it. But it is common enough."

"How trustworthy is this knowledge?"

"Oh, it depends. I call it a library, but Winter says it is more a library of libraries. Some are lies. Some are truth. She could... bring you a gate, but..."

"Iron and cold iron."

"Contained in strange false bone, but... yes. And rare is the gatekeeper that does not demand money. Or proof that we lie not of ourself."

"I see... perhaps take another's gate, then."

The short figure nodded. "It could be done."

"Good. And has my daughter, at least, found why magic sings again?"

"...The Belled Sorcerer left his gate open. Magic from his world poisoned theirs. Then another Sorcerer stepped in... and now the magics are blended, and she keeps the world together as it heals."

"Does she know of us?"

"...I cannot say. Winter speaks of her as a great power, and yet choosing to remain mortal."

The tall figure nodded, holding the can in his hand. "Were we in their world, this would unweave me. And it is common... inform Winter that she is to proceed with great caution."

"It shall be done, my lord."

"...and then, I pointed out that it wasn't the color of the hair, but how you style it that matters. You know?"

"Appearance is paramount."

"Ha!" Zephyr nodded. "First impressions, I know! Still. At least I managed to get something out of the situation. I," he said proudly, "have a job interview."

Winter smiled broadly. "Congratulations!"

"I know, I... I think I would have caved in if it hadn't been for... whatever it was you did." The boy rubbed the back of his head, glancing around the trees they were walking through. "You've really changed my life."

"Well, that is an effect of having a bond."

"Hmm. Hey, Winter, where are we going?"

Winter smiled. "I am headed to a bastion. You, simply happen to be following me."

"A bastion--oooooh, you mean a place where you can meditate or think on magic, right?"

The woman tilted her head, acknowledging his words.

"Well... I guess that makes sense. It's just..." Zephyr coughed. "I dunno if you follow the news, but you know those angst monster things? Some were sighted in these woods earlier this week."

Winter turned to him curiously. "Angst monster?"

"...You really haven't heard? Apparently some disease mutated when magic came back, and it's been having weird effects on the animals that catch it. Some people think it's rabies--my sister isn't so sure."

Winter Lights looked behind him. "Would these angst monsters appear to have shadowy bodies and bone spurs, by any chance?"

"Oh yeah. Also their eyes glow yellow for some reason, it's really... creepy..."

Zephyr blinked.

He slowly turned around.

"...Okay." Very carefully, he backed off from what he was guessing might have been a bear once. "They're attracted to fear, hate, basically negativity--that's why they're called angst monsters. If we stay calm and move away slowly--"

Winter Lights stepped forward, tilting her head, observing the bone-faced creature as it growled at her.

"...ah. Interesting." She brought her hands together. "Most interesting..."

"Winter, get away from that thing!" Zephyr grabbed her arm. "It's dangerous!"

"Many things are."

The creature lunged--

--her hand shot out--

--and with a yip, it was impaled on a shard of ice.

"I," Winter continued calmly, "am among them."

"Oh." Zephyr blinked. "Well--well, uh, good. Still, we should get away and tell somebody from the Bacon Horse group about this--these things travel in packs."

"Indeed?" Winter Lights, for a moment, seemed to smile. "Fascinating."

Her eyes narrowed. "Quite fascinating."

"...Something's different about you."

"Huh?" Zephyr looked up. "Oh hey sis! Yeah, that... whole thing with the tree, you know, it got me to rethinking my life. I mean, I just always assumed you'd be able to shrug off anything, but--"

"Not that." Fluttershy waved her hand. "Not just that. You're... more professionally dressed."

"Hmm? Oh." Zephyr adjusted his bowtie. "Yeah, I'm trying to reinvent myself. I have a job interview today, you know?"

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean it's just the local bookstore, but I figure everyone has to start somewhere."

"Well... I'm glad." She peered at him. "Have you shaved your whiskers off?"

"Oh, you noticed!" The boy rubbed his chin. "Actually, I... well, you see, I've met this girl. I mean I don't know if we're actually dating, but she's nice, she's friendly--"

"Huh. Do I get to meet her?"

"I mean, maybe. She's busy a lot, apparently she's the secretary to some court or other."

Fluttershy frowned. "How old is she?"

"Well... huh. You know, I never asked?" Zephyr shrugged. "I know she was kicked out of her home, but she has a job and I helped her find a place to live, so... I'm guessing, like, early twenties?"

"And you're thinking about dating her."

"Not like that! I mean, I wouldn't mind it, but she's just a friend right now. We meet up during lunch."

"Mmmhmm." Fluttershy crossed her arms. "Well, I'm certainly not against intergenerational friendships, but you should be sure she's not trying to take advantage of you."

"Hey, Winter Lights is very..." Zephyr paused. "Well, okay, she might. But not sexually. She's more, goal oriented, you know? If it helped her, she might ask for a few bucks. Nothing wrong with that."

Fluttershy narrowed her eyes.

"Seriously. She's a good friend, nothing more!" Zephyr sighed. "No matter what I try."

"...Just keep working at getting yourself put together," Fluttershy suggested. "And... good luck with the interview."

"Thanks, sis. Oh!" Zephyr glanced at the clock. "It's in thirty minutes. Gotta go!" He gave her a brief hug before rushing out the door.

Fluttershy smiled faintly. "...I guess he's finally growing up. I don't know what I was worried abo—"

Her eyes fell on the foyer table.

"...oh my."

Zephyr had left his icon pin behind.

Author's Note

Beware all ye, the frosty ken, weaving glamours to decieve the eyes
Their words are sweet, but beneath their skin, a cunning mind will lie

Spring

Pure Vibrations was host once again to a familiar yellow nature lover, though her visit was different. A gust rattled the chimes on their shelves; the scents of the air fresheners wafted over to the center desk, where she leaned in, speaking quietly with her host.

"...and I just... I'm worried about him, Treezie. Leaving the pin behind..."

"Some people choose to walk their own path, Shy. Find something that doesn't mark them." Tree Hugger shrugged. "I know I did."

"Well, yes, but... don't take this the wrong way. I remember that you were... very worried about it. You spent a whole week, just... talking to your icon. Even after you made your decision, it... you were... off balance for a bit." She nodded at the bandanna her friend wore. "You still keep your icon on, even now."

The green girl rose an eyebrow, turning to her friend. "And Zephyr?"

"Zephyr left it behind. Not even worried. Not even the confidence he puts up when he's hiding his worries...." Fluttershy shrugged. "It could have been an accident, but... I haven't seen him wear it in a while. It's around the house. It's not... on him."

"An abrupt change." Tree Hugger nodded. "Usually a sign that something has unbalanced somebody... not necessarily negatively, you know."

"Oh, I know. It's just... you have that whole... chakra, aura, whatever you do." Fluttershy bit her lip. "Can you... you helped me with it. Can you take a look at him?"

"...Bring him in. I can't guarantee anything, of course, but for you, I'll do it."

"Thanks, Treezie. You're the best."

"Sure thing, Shy. Oh!" Tree Hugger held up a finger, reaching under the desk. "Your soap came in yesterday."

"Oh! Right." Fluttershy took the offered box, smiling gently. "Thank you really, I don't know how you find the stuff. I've looked everywhere, and--"

"It's a little something my mom makes. Family secret, you know?" The green girl adjusted her dreads. "I want to learn it myself, so I can spread the blessings among the people, but mom is... remarkably stubborn."

"Well, if you do get her to tell you, let her know she has at least one loyal customer."

"Oh, I already have. She doesn't believe me." Tree Hugger rolled her eyes.

"I see. I suppose I'll have to tell her in person then."

"That might be difficult. She's very busy in the parks department."

Fluttershy nodded as she pulled out her wallet. She paused for a moment.

"...You know, something happened in the park earlier this week..."

"Really?"

"I don't know what it was, but... there was something trying to warn me about winter, and open ways."

Tree Hugger frowned. "That is... interesting."

Fluttershy shrugged. "It was all very vague. I don't know what was going on--"

"Maybe you should head for the woods," the green girl suggested.

"What?"

"The trees in the park are bound by human moderation. The woods find their own balance."

The yellow girl rolled her eyes. "Why are you assuming it's the trees that are talking?"

"You were a tree for a while."

"So, what, you think they talk to me now?"

Tree Hugger crossed her arms. "I know trees. They're quiet, usually, but that doesn't mean they're entirely ignorant. They pick up on things that we might miss."

Fluttershy sighed. "...I really don't think it's anything. Look, if nothing happens this week, we can forget it, okay?"

After a moment, the other girl let her arms drop. "Your call."

"...and the shard of madness?" asked the taller figure.

"If the starfolk had it, it has been lost to the ages."

"It might be found."

"It might." The shorter figure shrugged. "It might not."

The taller figure contemplated this statement, and eventually nodded. "...true. Our focus should be on the spring court."

"Yes, they are... eager to spread out, once again. Though we must consider..."

"Consider what?"

The shorter figure clasped his hands together. "Knowledge spreads fast, with the invisible library. News as well. But there are places still distant."

The taller figure turned to him. "You propose a ring."

"I do."

"...The unseelie will not like that."

"True," the shorter figure admitted. "But better to be slow and gentle, then to rush and burn."

"Summer and fall would disagree."

"Summer and fall have long languished."

"True."

"In all honesty," the shorter figure admitted, "I would allow fall before spring. But there seems to be no want."

"Yet. You know how they are. Still for ages, but when they seek..."

"...they swarm. Yes."

"Spring has long been active in Equestria. Our other courts, less so. Allowing them back here..."

"Perhaps some will take notice and act themselves."

The taller figure nodded. "Perhaps. Sound the call then. A ring for the Spring court, in a world thought dead. Let all who wish to come."

Winter Lights leaned against the wall, considering those around her. How much had changed... and how little.

Perhaps she was being unfair--magic had only recently come to humanity, or rather only recently resurged. And it still hid behind a veil and a lie--the true magic of this world was not commonly utilized, most making due with the gift from the other realm. They could have been great, perhaps--well, that could be said of any group really. So few took fate into their own hands.

So few, and always so interesting...

Sunset Shimmer. An interesting figure, to be fair, a student of a goddess so blinding that she drove her beloved to another realm, where she became a goddess herself despite her denial. She would have to be avoided, of course, one did not toy with gods. But she was young and not omniscient, despite her pet's words to the contrary.

Ah yes... her pet. Winter Lights allowed a faint smile to flicker across her face. When she'd saved the thing she had been so... self-assured, to a point of madness. Keeping her secret from the others was not difficult; making her understand who the true master was, well, that had been an effort, but an entertaining one. Still, she had been a fair master, no punishments undeserved, and rewards for every helpful little act. Her pet must have been so frightened without her, but Winter believed she still retained enough individuality to take care of herself while she was out and about.

And really, it was her fault that Winter had the idea to come to this world anyway. Her constant babble of the new magic, of the new technology, it had been enough to intrigue the princess of the winter court. And there was opportunity here. So much. True, a ring for the Spring court was being considered, but what could the Spring court offer humans that they did not already have? A slight edge, perhaps, but not enough to entice a bond. Ironically, the same strength that kept Winter Lights from acting swiftly also kept her from having to act swiftly.

"Excuse me, sir or madam! Are you currently or have you ever been under any enchantment, spell, or otherwise magical occurrence that results in the alteration of your appearance to outside observers?"

Winter Lights blinked, turning to the odd pink girl that had asked the question and noting her... deranged magical aura. The question, and the face, were innocent enough. But this human was unstable, and therefore potentially dangerous. A shame--in another time, perhaps, she would have liked to toy with her, but here she could afford no risk. Still, leaving a question unanswered would be rude.

"Yes. And now, I feel I must leave."

Unweaving herself, Winter Lights drifted on the winds of Earth. She would set down soon enough, but for the moment she enjoyed the freedom that so many of those beneath her lacked.

"Really, sis, I'm fine," Zephyr insisted. "Better then fine. I feel like a brand-new man!"

"That's what worries me."

"Oh come on. You're the one that wanted me to grow up, and look! I have a job, I have a... not-yet girlfriend, and--"

"Zephyr, do you remember how Sunset transformed into a demon?"

"Um. Yeah. I thought you never wanted to hear me talk about it again."

Fluttershy rolled her eyes. "You called her a sexy succubus, and completely ignored the whole 'deranged attempt to take over the world' thing. The fact is you have a serious disconnect from the world around you, and that means sometimes you miss the important details."

Zephyr gave an exasperated sigh. "Fiiiiiine. What did I miss this time?"

"The transformation was induced by emotional change lensed through a potent magical artifact. That was before we had magic in our everyday lives." Fluttershy shivered. "I've seen what can happen these days--I've been through a transformation like that myself. The fact is you've changed, and changed abruptly, and even though it seems to be for the better I just... I just want to make sure you're okay."

"...Alright, alright." Zephyr held up his hands. "But I think I would have noticed if I transformed into some magical demon, right?"

"Maybe. But you might not have noticed if somebody cast some... mind alteration spell on you, or something."

Her brother looked decidedly uncomfortable at that statement. "That... okay, yeah, that could be scary. But do you really think Tree Hugger would notice?"

"She knew how to fix me when I went... in too deep. I think at the least she'd be able to diagnose you."

Zephyr rolled his eyes as they entered Pure Vibrations. "I still think you're worrying over nothing."

"Nothing can become something quite easily," drawled a new voice. "Welcome, Shybrother."

"Hey there Tree Hugger." Zephyr looked around. "Wow, you have done a number on this place, haven't you?"

Tree Hugger looked at him for a moment or two. "...Yes. Certainly. You do a fair bit of shopping, don't you?"

"Well, not anymore. Honestly, I think I was just trying to get in on the new fads--"

"I've arranged this shop to help one discover oneself. Why don't you have a go round?"

Zephyr blinked. "Really?"

"Mmm. There are many different types of meditation." Tree Hugger smiled. "You needn't purchase anything, just... take what piques your fancy and bring it back here, at the end."

"...Alright..." Zephyr hesitantly walked toward the beginning of the shelves, moving clockwise through the various sections.

Fluttershy blinked. "Tree Hugger, what--"

She held up a finger, gesturing for silence, and for her friend to come closer.

With a sigh, Fluttershy stepped up to the desk. "What are you doing, exactly?" she asked in a quiet murmur.

"...The ripples are..." Tree Hugger frowned. "Every aura shifts. Emotions, thoughts, even things below, it's all alive. I can see deeper if I focus, but for the most part it's just the surface of the pond--but the surface is almost always..." She gestured vaguely. "It usually all moves the same way for each person, even if it moves differently from person to person."

"...Okay?"

"Something's up with his, though. For the most part it's a unified motion, but there's something... else." She tapped her fingers. "Fish make ripples, but each pond usually only has one kind of fish, only one kind of swimming motion. There's another kind in him. I haven't ever seen it before..."

Fluttershy gulped. "So... is something wrong?"

"I don't know yet. It could be nothing, I'll have to do some reading--"

"Okay!" Zephyr reemerged, his arm filled with odd knickknacks and a book. "I did the thing!" He carefully let them spread out on the counter. "You said I didn't have to buy any of these, right?"

"No, of course." Tree Hugger set about spreading them into small groups. "Hmm. Ah. Hmm... Well, that's interesting." She held up one of the soap bars. "Cinnamon and Spruce?"

"Yeah, I dunno. It just... I've been thinking of changing my brand, you know?"

The green girl looked at him carefully for a moment or two.

"Um. What?"

"I ask your permission to peruse your flow of self."

"...What?"

"I want to poke you and make weird noises for my own pseudomystical purposes," Tree Hugger said flatly.

"Oh! Right, right. Uh... sure?"

With a nod, Tree Hugger stepped out from behind the desk, letting her fingers touch the top of his head. For a moment, there was silence.

"...Sooooo--"

Her fingers moved down to his brow. "Oooooooooom...."

"Oh. Okay, so do I just--"

Then to his throat. "Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam."

Zephyr gave Fluttershy a helpless glance. She gave him a confused shrug.

The top of his rib-cage. "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam."

"Ham and yam? Are you hungry or--"

The bottom. "Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaam."

"Okay, clearly I know nothing."

And further down. "Vaaaaaaaaaaaaam." Tree Hugger's brows knotted. "Vaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam..."

Zephyr blushed.

"...The water chakra is located near the pelvis," she said flatly. "Get your mind out of the gutter."

"Oh! Well--I, I certainly wasn't--"

"You were. Though... less swiftly then you used to." With a roll of her eyes, Tree Hugger completed her journey. "Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam."

She backed up and straightened. "Well. That told me far more then I ever needed to know."

"I really am--"

"Zephyr?" Tree Hugger patted his shoulder fondly. "You're a growing young man, and you kept yourself in control. You have nothing to be ashamed about. Why don't you head on out, I need to talk to Fluttershy for a moment or two."

"...Right. Right. Yes." Zephyr Breeze backed out of the store with a blush. "I'll just... wait outside." The door shut rapidly.

Tree Hugger turned to Fluttershy, her face serious. "Well, I know what's wrong with him, and it's supposed to be impossible."

"What?!" Fluttershy blinked. "What do you mean, impossible?!"

"I mean..."

Tree Hugger paused.

"...What do I mean? It's never been mentioned in my books..."

"Treezie?"

"Where would I have heard....? Sorry." She turned back to Fluttershy. "Keep an eye on him. I need to do research. I've heard of this before, but I can't remember where."

"Treezie, what's going on?"

"His water chakra's changed. Like, not even distorted flow, completely changed---another fish in the pond." Tree held up the soap. "I'm sorry, but this is important. Don't panic, just... just keep an eye on him, alright?!"

Fluttershy nodded, backing toward the door. "Alright. Alright, I--I'll do that. I promise." She turned around, stepping out of the store as Tree Hugger started to close it down.

"The first ring has been established, my lord. We are providing glamours for the Spring Court as they pass."

"Excellent. I hope my daughter has not been overwhelmed with her new associates?"

"...Your daughter has not been active in the ring at all."

The taller figure paused. "That is... not entirely unprecedented, but it is worrisome."

"She continues to report on the world, on its inhabitants and developments."

"But to avoid association with the other courts..."

The shorter figure tapped his fingers together. "It is... possible, that she is waiting to see what the Spring Court will do in this world."

"Possible, yes. I would have assumed she would have taken a guiding role."

"True. It is most unlike her to allow subjects free reign."

"What secrets is she hiding from us?"

"My lord?"

"I am not foolish," the taller figure stated. "I know she has estate in places we cannot see."

"She is true to her word."

"As are all seelie."

"...your point is well seen. If I had an idea what she was hiding, I would offer it."

"Yet you do not."

"Nay." The shorter figure bowed. "I apologize."

"...I suppose I shall simply have to watch and wait, shall I not?"

"For the moment. Once the Spring Court has established itself, perhaps we can join her in this new realm."

"Perhaps...."

The creature snarled and raged at her from its shackles of ice. Winter Lights merely smiled, whisking her hand through the air. "I will admit your instinct does you credit. But instinct alone cannot win this battle. And being as overwhelmed as you are by it..."

Icicles grew from her gloved fingers, long and thin and sharp. She almost seemed to caress the beast's cheek as they dug in, cutting a chunk of the bony faceplate off. By the time that it it snapped at the assault, she was already out of reach with her prize.

"Hmm... ah. What a fascinating structure." She placed the chunk on the makeshift table, near a construct of ice that resembled nothing so much as a swan. Picking up a twig from the ground, she nudged the two together--

--and for a moment the ice seemed to writhe--

--and she looked with interest at the new shape. Still swan-like, but not the figure of grace many assumed. There was still grace, but where before it had been a resting sort, now it was the beauty of the diving predator, the killer-to-be. Wings outstreched, spikes along their edges, and the neck lancing out.

"Hmmm... Have I seen you before?" Winter turned to the beast, still struggling in its bonds. "I've seen what you reflect, though those are creatures far more... hmm... menacing, shall we say. But... how do you reflect it?"

It roared at her.

She snapped her fingers in sudden remembrance. "Of course! The glimpse was brief, but... my. My my my my my. Humans interfering with what they shouldn't..."

Winter Lights looked back to the icy swan, and the chunk of bone within. "Well, now I know. Potent indeed... yes. And if it can affect one of them...."

She smiled, and turned back to her prisoner. "I know you do not understand this, but you should be proud. Your death will cause far more then you could ever have achieved alive." The ice on her glove glinted in the midday sun.

Fluttershy sat down on the blanket, taking a breath and slowly letting it out. "Alright. So you want to talk to me, right? I'm listening."

She looked up at the tree and frowned. "But I'm not going to do that thing where I get drawn in and forget myself."

The tree did not react.

Fluttershy took a breath, closed her eyes, and focused. Focused on the feeling of being. The scent of the grass and the wood, and the soil. She tried to remember how she extended before, how she let herself....

Herself...

...and others...

The self was one with others, weaving in and out, still attached still attached to the flow withing but now scattered like a river, roots and roots intertwining, impressions faint of the skittering others that clambered webwork, of the others that moved in and out and out and into sideways, sideways the stillness broken, those of winter rising, and now the swirls remembered, and now those that could see them, not the skittering others but the shifting, they felt the branches twisting, one followed and followed and--

She pulled back and snapped her eyes open in shock. Not an inch away from her face was a strange blue creature that... she felt should have been an insect, even though her vision insisted it was a tiny humanoid with translucent wings.

"Oh. Hello there."

"...Fluttershy? Is that ye?"

Fluttershy--right, her name. "I... yes, I'm Fluttershy. Who are you?"

"It's me! It's Seabreeze!" The figure gestured at itself. "Don't ye remember me, from the migration?"

"...Um." Fluttershy bit her lip. "I... can't say that I do, I'm sorry."

"Oh dear. Come, lass, we need tae get ye back tae Equestria--"

"Oh! You think I'm the other Fluttershy!"

Seabreeze paused, hovering in midflight, before turning around. "Other Fluttershy?"

"Yes." Fluttershy nodded. "You see, Sunset Shimmer--I don't know if you've heard of her, but she came from Equestria through a magical portal, and it turns out that every pony in Equestria has a human analogue here. A while ago the saturation of magic nearly caused our worlds to crash together, but she worked to stop it, and now we all have magic--I'm sorry, am I being confusing? There's a lot to go over here."

"...ach, siripat sulat...." The tiny winged figure rubbed his hands through his pink hair. "A reflection that knows."

"A reflection?"

"Not that ye be only that," he quickly assured her. "Worlds reflect other worlds, tis just the nature of infinity. That ye have a portal to one that is reflectin' off ye, or perhaps the other way round, that just makes things more confusin'.... but easier tae explain."

"Oh. Are you some sort of world-hopping creature then?"

"...Aye. I be a breezie, one o' the Spring court o' the Fay."

She nodded politely. "That's interesting. What brings you here?"

"Oh, we all be interested in magic's resurgence here. The winter court's been examinin' yer realm, learnin' since they noticed, but they prefer not tae openly appear till some things have been established."

Fluttershy blinked, giving Seabreeze a wary look. "...The trees said that winter was coming."

"Ye can hear the trees?"

"I was one, for a while."

Seabreeze tilted his head. "That... would explain some things about ye. If ye were a tree, mayhap ye could help me and me kin?"

"Well, I don't know if I can do everything, but I can certainly try."

"We be lookin' to find settings on the edge, places o' privacy whence we can come and go without complaint. Tis best to grow where none can complain, ye ken?" Seabreeze gestured at the trees. "Us in the spring court be small enough to nest, but most others prefer halls."

"...Hmm." Fluttershy pulled her phone out, tapping the screen. "Let me look at a map...."

"The reflections are aware of their other selves?"

"That is what the springling told me." The shorter figure frowned. "The Breezies are of neither kingdom, though, so their word is not always trustworthy."

"They would only lie if it furthered their ends," the taller one reprimanded.

"My apologies, my lord."

"...that my daughter has not informed of me this... either it is a great secret, held by a few, or she has withheld knowledge deliberately."

"Perhaps..."

"Yes?"

"We should meet her, make assurance that she remains loyal to the hall."

The taller one frowned. "You think she would plan something?"

"There are.... hints, my lord. Some of the Spring Court have noted... odd magics, wandering through the forests. They stay away, but what they sense.... there may be a darkness that Winter has not informed."

"The light reveals.... the dark conceals."

"And she is adept at dancing with both."

"....We shall call for her, inform her of what the Spring Court has informed us, and gauge her reaction."

"Might that not be what she wants?"

"Her time in the other world has been short. It is unlikely she is ready to conduct whatever plan she has set in motion."

"As you say my lord. May the fates decree you correct...."

Winter Lights walked through the woods, her lips blackened by the cosmetic she had mixed together. None challenged her path, fay and monster akin moving out of her way...

...till she came upon the bastion itself, and paused.

The green-skinned girl waiting pointed at her. "That," she said coolly, "is not yours."

Winter looked at herself, at where she was pointing, and then to the faded violet eyes that simmered with cold rage.

"...it was given to me freely," she replied. "An even exchange, a pact, a bond."

The green-skinned girl let her finger fall. "He did not know what he was agreeing to--"

"Oh, but he did. I agreed to give him a stronger heart, a will to move mountains--and has he not that? What I took in return--"

"You asked for shelter," the girl deadpanned, "not for his soul."

Winter laughed. "Do not be so caustic! You can see what is, far better than most, you know his soul remains. All I have taken is... his inadequacies, his self-loathing and terror." She scoffed. "It is not pleasant, but I endure."

A thick red eyebrow quirked. "You've allowed your own self to alter that--I can see it."

"Hmm. You knew Zephyr, then?"

"I'm friends with Fluttershy. She brought him in for me to look over."

"Ah, the sister. Much have I heard of her." Winter Lights smiled, as to an angry puppy. "And yet I have heard nothing of you. Might I ask your name?"

"My name is that which I possess," the green-skinned girl replied. "And you will not take it from me."

"Oh, that is not how my magic works. Words are shells, useful tools, the beginning of the object, not the object of itself." Winter gestured. "Should I wish, I could pluck from you anything I wanted."

"Yet you gave as well as took. Balance must be maintained."

"...Look at you," Winter mused. "More intelligent and insightful then most. And yet, because of your shell, you will never have the power to be more then you are." She curtsied. "Whereas I am free, free to be and become, to warp and change."

"You are bound to Zephyr."

"A bond of my own choice. I could easily revoke it, but this world intrigues me." Winter nodded. "It could be quite useful."

The green-skinned girl narrowed her eyes. "Those that force their own view will find great resistance."

"As you have pointed out, I am bound to Zephyr. Harm me, and you harm him."

"I bring not harm. Only balance and transformation."

"Ha. Balance." Winter chortled. "You know nothing of balance, caged as you are!" She twirled. "I have a meeting to attend. You cannot delay me."

"Did you know Fluttershy is friend to Sunset Shimmer?"

Winter froze.

"...Ah." The green-skinned girl reached for her speech brick. "Call Flut--"

She whirled, a bolt of ice smashing the brick out of the girl's hand and raising her arm. Frost swiftly encased her skin, and for a moment she seemed shocked; yet before she was completely frozen, the green-skinned girl assumed a pose of dignity and meditative poise.

Winter approached the ice-trapped girl, looking her over with a mildly impressed expression. "Hmm. Still alive... you are an interesting mortal, aren't you." She gently cupped her cheek. "You've forced me to speed up my plans. Not by much, but your absence will be noticed... I believe I shall reward your effort."

Ice rose beneath the girl's feet, slowly melting and reforming, carrying her behind Winter Lights as she walked to the bastion, a fanged smirk on her face.

"You will be at my side, and witness my rise to greatness. A truer reward, few could imagine."

Author's Note

The smallest folk and friendliest, the winged ones still have power
Respect the forest lest ye find their feelings have gone sour.

Summer

Some bastions had withstood the test of time, their arches and anchors remaining even as magic faded from the world. Others were not so lucky, being battered away by wind and weather and wants of humanity. And to be fair, this side of the world had been avoided for the most part, even then; toying with gods and starfolk was best when your point of retreat was an ocean away.

But her pet had grown up here, and it was here that Winter Lights had decided to insert herself. Here, where the legends had twisted to be unrecognizable, here where one god strove not to be a god, and to prevent the others from being such. Not a place of old power, no, this was a realm for new blood to prove itself. And her point of entry, so protected by forest and fang, let her move between realms like a whisper between hungry ears.

She approached the great stone with cool anticipation, a rise of her fingers bringing the block of ice behind her to a pause. "A moment, mortal. You have met gods, angels, monsters, demons. You have seen the flow of magic through your world in many ways... a few more then most, I shall admit freely. Now, I give you a chance to see something that few in this age have known. Understand, we are not as powerful as those you know--not in the sense you know power. Yet we are greater, for we dance freely, taking from gods and demons as easily as from animals, and rare do they even notice. Do not think our frailty a weakness; do not think our trickery a crime. We are beyond you. And you will find that we can take control of your fates easily enough."

With a whisk of her fingers, she wove a glamour, hiding the ice-bound girl as a broken tree, before she brought her hands together and knelt at the stone. "Atar amin naa sinome. Lle raktuva amin, maaramin namo vanya."

Light speckled across the stone's surface with no clear origin, forming patterns and whirls, and then a song bound into a form--great, tall, powerful, looking down upon her with both care and caution. "Rise, my daughter. I see you are well."

"Well enough, father." She stood, smiling with her blackened lips. "Better even, now that you are here."

"You have anticipated our arrival?" asked his adviser, stepping forward.

She smiled, head bowing. "But of course! Such great members of the winter court, stepping forth to the world in which I work, it is always worth remembering. And my father besides." She took the taller figure's hand, lightly brushing it with her lips. "I invite you to Earth, my lord."

The taller figure quirked a brow. "Invite, you say."

"Aye."

"Not... welcome."

Her blackened lips quirked into a predatory grin.

The advisor's eyes widened and he whirled--finding the light on the stone had fallen back to its usual foresty nature. And then she was upon him, ice encasing his body, and he tried to unweave but she had only left one aperture, blocking it with a canister whose outer surface was cold iron and whose inner the false bone.

Her father rose, intent on striking, before a great lance of pain shot through his arm. He tried to unweave himself but--something held him--something entangled his magic, forcing him back to the material realm.

"What... what is this?! What have you claimed from darkness?!"

She sealed the container, hanging it from her hip, and turned to her father. "Reflections are always so fascinating. Some are perfect, and some are not. And the ones that are imperfect find their own... existence. They grow. They become. And some twist in stranger ways."

Her eyes tracked her father as his form began to twist, warp in agonizingly audacious ways. "Crystals resonate, even at their smallest level. We know this, it is how we punish the spring court, and so common across so many worlds. So I ask you this: what happens when a crystal is born from creature, when domination and hatred are snapped off and splintered, when the mindless lust to rule is crushed to powder and set adrift on the winds?"

The color split on his form, merging and swirling as rods formed on his limbs and plates burst out of his back. He fell to what had been his knees, but now resembled nothing so much as writhing tail. "You... have poisoned me. You seek to kill me!"

"Kill you?" She threw her head back and chortled. "Father, you are kin! You raised me! Nay, I shall not end your life." She stepped back, once, twice, watching his face melt off the bone beneath. "Oh, do not doubt I could do it. We both see your mind slipping away. You are becoming bestial, filled with the need to destroy those that could rise against you. In time, perhaps, your intellect could resurge, and you might even be able to do so."

A speechbrick rose in her hands, even as he growled at her. "But time is something that I shall not grant." And with a flick of her fingers, her plan was set into motion.

"Lass, ye be just as helpful as yer Equestrian counterpart. If nae more so."

Fluttershy giggled, watching the small forms flitting about the copse where she herself had rooted not so long ago. "Well, it's no trouble at all. I'm just happy to help." She managed--just barely--to hold back a small squeak of joy as she watched some of the tiny fairies finish setting up a roost. "So, how did you meet my, uh, counterpart?"

"It was durin' the migration," Seabreeze explained casually. "There be plants in our region of fae we cultivate, but fae being what-tis they can mutate rath'r quick. Bringin' base pollen helps control the shifts, and we've long had a deal with the ponykin for such subject."

"Oh. So she traded pollen with you?"

"Ach, no. We already had the pollen. She took care o' us when we were split oof the rest and ensured we made it back." The blue figure rolled his eyes. "Equestria magic tain't exactly friendly with Fay."

Fluttershy blinked. "Really? I thought it would be. I've heard a lot about harmonic resonance--"

"Tis exactly why it is unkind to us!" Seabreeze shouted.

She flinched.

He noticed, and took a breath. "Harmony is good if ye already be singin' the notes," he explained. "But fer Fay? To have our magic molded to such pattern? We are the reweavers of self. It is like... it tugs at us, e'ry moment we be in that realm. A lucky few can sing along, but fer the rest of us we are made mute, fer we dinnae speak the right tongue."

"Oh... my." Fluttershy rubbed her head. "I didn't realize it was so horrible for you."

"Nae, not horrible. Icky. Draining. But not... horrible." Seabreeze shrugged. "Here, there is some similar--Equestria magic, wanting us to sing--but there is also something powerful, watchin', and so the ponyspells are hesitant to sing wi'out its permission. And the powerful thing, tis not demandin' of us on the whole--though," he admitted wryly, "I sense it would strike fast an' hard against an individual that caused far too much strife."

Fluttershy glanced at her fingers. "I'm... not sure I understand."

"I hath heard magics of realms compared to different wines, save that instead o' drinkin' them ye be swimmin' in them. This realm be havin' magic more appeasable to the Fay, that be all ye need to know for now."

The girl nodded, her eyes following a yellow and green pair of... well, fairies. Fairies, like the stories, all working together, and she was helping! It hadn't exactly been her dream to do this--well, not in a defined sense. It was more one of the traditional 'wants' that culture applied to girls, like ponies and princesses and... a lot of things about Equestria, actually.

...huh. She'd have to compare notes with Sunset about that.

Still, for Fluttershy at least, this was something worth remembering. Something she felt she would have wanted, even without the various cultural pressures.

Something Seabreeze said niggled at her though. "You... said you were reweavers of self?"

"Aye. Fair be it, rare do we speak o' this outside Fay." He gave her a look. "I hope ye not be seekin' to do so yeself..."

"No, no no. I've had my share of mindwarping back when I was a tree." Fluttershy took a breath. "It's just... my brother... He's been acting strange. I took him to a friend, and she said his water chakra changed, but that was a few days ago. Do you know anything about that sort of thing?"

"Mmm, aye." Seabreeze landed on her shoulder. "I meself have formed a bond of light wit' verne'melamin Flameshadow. We exchanged the sparks what which let us know sight." He put a hand to his brow with a faint smile. "Wondrous day, that was."

"Oh." Fluttershy blushed faintly. "I'm sure... she?"

"Aye."

"She must have been very important for you to do that."

"Love is always important, aye. Though I must be quick to say exchange o' sparks is common fer fay--only tis the fact that it be the spark o' light which make it so personal."

Fluttershy blinked. "Different sparks are... more valuable?"

"Aye, o' course!" Seabreeze buzzed up to her face. "Only thing more precious then ye spark o' light is ye spark o' magic! Those below can be given as even trade, but those two--careful thought must they be given."

"Oh." Fluttershy nodded. "That makes sense... so, if my brother exchanged his spark of water with somebody...?"

"Hmm." Seabreeze fluttered around her, taking in her form. "I see were ye were touched durin' ye tree time, boot apart from that ye look to be tightly woven. If all ye kin be as such, it would take another to exchange sparks."

"He did say he met a new girl..."

"Aye?"

"Yeah, Winter Lights. I haven't met her but--Eeep!" Fluttershy crossed her eyes, trying to keep Seabreeze in her vision.

"WINTER LIGHTS?!"

"Um. Yes. Why are you on my nose?"

"Lass, if ye kin be bonded with that mirilien kuruni then he be the center of whate'r plan she have. And with how she be movin'..." He ran his hands through his pink hair. "I nary doubt it be one we will like."

Zephyr mumbled, shifting uncomfortably. "Mmmmnnn, oonf. What...?" His eyes opened blearily, moving in their sockets as he tried to figure out where he was.

"Oh! You're awake! Mistress had me prepare a meal for you." The clinking of ceramics followed the young voice, almost right next to him. "I hope you like stew. You do like stew, right? I've gotten really good with stew, it's water and various bits mixed in it. I'm still trying to work on making bread, it's a little hard with these ovens--but that's just because I'm not used to these ovens, the ovens themselves are totally fine!"

The boy shook his head, pushing himself up into a sitting position and turning to the speaker. "I'm sorry, I--"

He paused, taking in the long strapless dress the blue-haired girl was wearing, and the ornate white designs that swirled across the violet fabric in fascinating ways.

"I... don't exactly know how I got here," he continued, looking around. "Wherever here is..."

"The mistress brought you to her chamber." The blue haired girl fiddled with the golden chain that ran from her earlobe to the circlet she wore. "She said you... had a bond with her?"

Zephyr nodded faintly, still trying to absorb his surroundings. The room seemed circular--no, not circular, the walls sloped in and out, like a pinched cylinder. The floor seemed twenty feet across, and the chamber five times that in height--he wondered at the shifting light speckling down faintly to their level. Around him were bits of furniture--the delicate looking bed he'd awoken on, the hexagonal stand upon which the flower-shaped bowl of stew rested, a strange... smooth-curved thing that reminded him of a bird talon surrounded by a folding screen.

What really drew the eye, though, was the throne. A great pillar at the center of everything, running from floor to ceiling, gleaming shards of blue and green coiling up the back in the image of a great flowering vine. And at the base, a gently curved divot formed seat and armrests.

"...Hold on." Zephyr blinked, turning back to the girl. "The mistress brought me here?"

"She did. You were out cold." For some reason the girl giggled, before clapping her bangled hands over her mouth and letting her eyes dart left and right. "I--I mean you were unconscious! Yeah. Unconscious."

He leaned back, giving her an odd look. "O...kaaaaaay..."

She took in his expression, and slowly let her hands drop. "You... have to be careful around here. With words. Be exact, be precise." Her eyes moved up. "If you're not... things can happen. Oh, and never lie. The mistress hates that."

"Uh-huh. And... who is the mistress?"

The girl's eyes widened. "She--she said you had a bond!"

"...Wait... Are you talking about Winter L--?"

Zephyr was cut off when a peach hand pushed against his mouth. "She can hear you when you say her name! Any of her names! She can hear everything in here, she--she just only pays attention when summoned!"

"Or when I feel like it," purred a new voice.

The girl jumped back with a squeak, quickly prostrating herself on the ground. "Mistress! I, I am grateful for your presence!"

"I know, pet. I know." The newcomer sauntered to her, kneeling down and cupping her chin in a long, four-fingered hand. "And you've done so well with our guests. I commend your actions."

She looked up at her, golden eyes filled with worshipful adoration. "I... thank you... thank you mistress. I adore your praise."

"Oh, I know, pet. Why don't you seek more of it by, hmm, arranging material for our friend's clothing during his stay?"

An eager smile dominated the girl's face. "Right away mistress!" She stood, rushing over to a tree-like object from which hung numerous bolts of cloth, and began to peruse them vigorously.

Zephyr Breeze stared after her for a moment or two. Then he turned back to the lady. "Ah... Winter Lights?"

"Yes, Zephyr?"

He gulped. "You... look different."

"Oh? Ah, yes, you've never seen me without my glamour." She rolled her hand in a slight bow. "What do you think?"

It was... still recognizably her, he had to admit. The way she moved, the way she smiled... but she seemed to have elongated. Her ears and eyelashes extended, as though tugged by a great wind--in fact, her entire face seemed more pointed, sharp, no less pretty but certainly more dangerous. She looked taller--she was taller, actually, inhumanly graceful limbs and ever twisting locks together making her flow, more then walk.

"You look... beautiful," he finally replied.

"Oh, I know. But I did not ask how I looked." She ambled toward him, her hair rolling off bare shoulders in waves. "I asked... what you thought."

"I... think... that I have no idea what's going on," he admitted, "and I'm probably going to be reliant on you for answers."

She paused, tilting her head for a moment, then threw back her head. The sound of icicles in the wind reverberated around the chamber as she laughed. "Wise words indeed! You are truly an excellent bond-partner."

"Aha... ha ha." Zephyr put on an uncomfortable smile. "So, um... what is going on, anyway?"

"Oh, much is in motion. I stand to gain through loss, though there is a risk that I shall be revealed. And there is your sister to consider... Fluttershy, an interesting name."

The thin fingers reached into his hair, coolly gliding down the length of one strand, and plucked it from his head. She took her prize and stepped back, spinning it into a circle, and waving her hand over.

Zephyr's eyes went wide as an image of his sister appeared in midair, worry on her face as she watched a blue... bug of some sort. "Is... is that really her?"

"No, tis merely a scry." Winter clicked her tongue in annoyance. "And one of the spring court... I cannot afford to deal with her directly right now." Her fingers traced around the image of Fluttershy's head, murmuring in an unknown tongue. "That should prevent most of the possible problems... and I do believe she will be amusing."

"What? What did you do?"

"I have... arranged for your entertainment. So long as you are here, you can see your sister's actions; how she follows rules and what may happen should she break them. And know this: you are far safer here then you would be outside." Winter nodded toward the girl. "My pet can attest to that. She will tend to you till my return. I must away to the court, for opportunity shall slip by if I do not act swift."

And then Winter... disintegrated, transforming into shining dust and spiraling up around the throne.

The girl watched her leave, before turning to him. "You are truly fortunate to have bonded with the mistress." She shuffled a bare foot on the ground. "I... have yet to earn that honor."

Zephyr stared at her.

"...oh! Do you need anything? Mistress wants me to give you what you require." She blushed faintly. "I don't... know exactly what the limits are on that command, so, um--"

"Honestly I think I need to find a bathroom."

"Oh." She pointed. "Right over there."

He blinked, following her finger to the weird talon thing. "...that's a toilet?"

"Well, yes."

"...there's no bowl. How does it--"

"Just get in, shut the door, drop your pants, and sit down." Her blush grew. "And, uh, try to stay still. It, uh... moves."

"Gathered friends, lords, ladies. I bring ill news. My father... is dead."

Murmurs went through the crowd at her proclamation. She stood firm, she stood tall, her face still and stolid.

"I witnessed his demise. A group of mortals came upon him, decreed him a monster, and destroyed him with brutal efficiency." There was a quaver in her voice, a faint one, but still she stood. "I managed to avoid capture, though my father's advisor was entrapped. I know not what they would do with him."

Her eyes flicked across the courtesans, gauging their worry, their disbelief.

"My friends," she stated, "I know as well as most that it is... foolhardy to assume the worst of any based on the actions of few. Yet when I looked upon those who killed my father, I recognized the sigils they bore; they are renowned in that realm. One of us is dead. Another of us is captured. And what, then, will happen if we allow such transgression once more?"

She turned, looking toward the vacant throne, and took a single step. The court fell silent, the brazen action shocking them to the core.

"...We are close to this realm," she said coolly, laying the crown at the throne's feet. "Should any of those mortals break through, they would find themselves on our private estates, and if they acted...?" She turned, stepping away from the throne. "Lords, ladies, heed my call. I ask we siphon and stretch, that we make the path longer. Many of our bastions are off their road; if we move quietly, if we move quickly, we may yet take for our own."

For a moment, silence sung.

Then one stepped forward.

Another.

A third...

Winter Lights watched the court move her way. And beneath the glamour of a quietly mourning princess, she allowed a fanged smirk.

"You're sure that Zephyr came this way?"

"Lass, I be sure o' nae thing regardin' the lady he bonded wit'. She be seelie, ye ken?"

Fluttershy brushed aside a branch. "No, actually, I don't... ken. What's seelie mean?"

Seabreeze rolled his eyes, adjusting his perch on her shoulder. "The two kingdoms. Great powers of the court. With the unseelie, at least, ye know to expect hunters and fiends. The seelie, ye can trust naught but their word." He scoffed. "Tis why the Breezies stay out o' the affairs o' the kingdoms. It offers less protection, but at least we need not be watchin' every word spewin' from our lips every second o' every day!"

"Ah." Fluttershy nodded, carefully maneuvering around another root. "But you're... mostly sure Zephyr's in this forest."

"I know the bastion the winter court be usin' is this way. It be easier to track from..."

Seabreeze cut himself off, his antennae twitching as he looked around.

"Hide. Now."

Fluttershy gave him a curious look as she pressed herself against a tree. Her hand brushed against its trunk

Summer has arrived, plainwalker. Ware the wandering other.

and she felt it give with a slight groan, forming a small nook around her.

Mere moments afterward something green and translucent slammed into the ground in front of her. It took her a couple of seconds to realize it was a foot; the thing was as long as her leg, attached to a thick ankle and a knee at double her height. It was soon joined by its pair, the forest floor sinking slightly under its weight.

A faint sound, almost like a sniff, seemed to come above. Seabreeze put a hand to her lips, shaking his head slightly; Fluttershy tried to keep her breathing low and faint, even as the feet fidgeted. An odd clicking noise, like sticks being run across each other, clattered down to them; after a moment, the feet seemed to fade away from sight.

She watched the pits decompress, the surprisingly quiet thump of giant footsteps slowly growing distant. Every muscle in her arms was tense, as her hands clenched.

"...One o' the summer court," Seabreeze murmured. "Wit' a bond o' sound... and winter's glamour."

He shook his head. "This cannae be good. Somethin' must o' happened."

Fluttershy let out a slow breath. "Just to clarify--an invisible giant is walking around the forest."

"Aye."

"Any idea why?"

Seabreeze shook his head. "Nae. But if the summer court be walkin' through a winter bastion, somethin' serious must be goin' on."

With a small sigh, Fluttershy stepped out of the nook and looked around. "Well, we've come this far already... I really should have thought to call the girls before going after Zephyr." She paused. "Actually, I should have called my mother... or anyone. Why am I doing this alone?"

"Oy!"

"I mean, aside from the fairy companion who is very helpful in explaining everything."

"Better, lass." Seabreeze looked her over. "And if I be right... somebody's playin' a game with ye."

"...A game."

"Aye. Probably one o' the seelie--the one what took ye kin, if I nae miss me guess." He shrugged. "Ye be mortal, and toyin' with ye lot is one o' the ways they amuse themselves o'r the eons."

"And what if I don't want to play?"

"Then ye can walk out, but ye won't receive the prize." He sighed. "Which in this case, may well be ye brother."

Fluttershy reached for her phone.

"Don't, lass."

She gave Seabreeze a look. "Why not?"

"Ye saw through that glamour, but that dinnae mean she knows ye did. If ye break a rule, she'll give ye a penalty for cheatin'. Could be anythin'--a wall in ye way, a twist o' ye form, or some warpin' o' ye brother."

Fluttershy frowned, looking down at the giant footprints in front of her. "I'm starting to see why you don't like the seelie kingdom. Is there any way for me to contact somebody without going back and... and losing?"

"...Nae, lass. None that I can see."

She sighed. "Well at least you're here. Come on, let's... hold on."

With great care she stepped into the footprint, leaning down and brushing aside a few leaves. Embedded in the dirt, warped but still recognizable, was Tree Hugger's phone.

"Why is the princess involving the summer court?"

A lean figure looked toward the spindly one. "They are the ones most like to restrain mortals."

"Yes, but of what purpose is that restraint? We've claim to lay on the forest, why need we ensure mortals not intrude?" The spindly figure folded her fingers. "If anything, it attracts more attention."

"It is unlikely they shall true catch the outsiders. For the moment they wander the new border unseen, ready to take only those which wander too close."

"I would believe that were it winter that guarded. But summer? They burn in mind and soul. They will be ambitious, to the point of being blind."

The lean figure glanced around carefully, before leaning in close. "Strewth, it is as you say. Summer is our opposite, and I know not how the princess convinced even a modicum of restraint."

"She has always played all parts." The spindly figure shook her head. "They say her mother was summerborn."

"I've little doubt. Her father would adore... muchness. But at least he was wise in his flamboyance." The lean figure rolled her shoulders. "Still, the summer court has yet to cause issue, even if it is a bold maneuver by her. Perhaps she has gained their respect?"

"Or promised something to their appetites."

"A possibility, to be sure. Alas, without evidence, what can we do but wait and watch?"

"And scheme."

The lean figure chortled. "But of course! That goes without saying, my friend."

She knew the moment she crossed over. Everything looked the same at first, but the grass felt different under her feet, the light speckled glittered in an omnipresent manner, and the air that flowed across her neck-down tasted... lighter.

"Welcome to Fae," Seabreeze murmured. "From here, much changes."

Fluttershy nodded, pulling her hand from the stone and stepping warily away. She glanced at Tree Hugger's phone for a moment, before pocketing it. "Alright. So... basic safety tips?"

"Watch what ye say, and what others say to ye. Exact words are commonplace here. Be wary o' tha critters, too--they can be troublesome fer the Fay, even with our reweavin', and that ye cannae do that makes ye more o' a target fer them. Things are safe round the bastion, tis akin to the other side, but the further ye get the more things will... warp."

"I think I've seen this movie."

Seabreeze snorted. "Lass, ye may be in a story, but that dinnae mean ye can trust that it'll play out like always. Reflections are never the same, especially if they be aware. Stay wary."

"Oh, I will." Fluttershy moved cautiously through the trees, a hand brushing against the bark

A mortalborn dryad? What an interesting anomaly.

and pulling back with a gasp.

Seabreeze nodded. "Aye, the trees are more awake here. Everything is, really. With nae laws but our own, all can become as want, if they be able to stay that way." He tapped his chest. "Will in all sparks, ye ken?"

"I'm... not sure what you mean," Fluttershy admitted, carefully making her way through the forest and noting the various ways it seemed to warp around her. "Do sparks just act on their own or--?"

She gasped as something was smashed through the trees in front of her, pushing itself up with a cackling roar. The thing had a shape made of fire, but there was no--no flame, no smoke, it was as though the fire was contained in the form of a broad-shouldered serpentine form. And the creature that lunged on top of it was similar--it looked like it a six-legged crocodile snake made of water, but the frothy blue liquid didn't so much as drip, even as steam rose from the point of contact.

"Pures," Seabreeze explained simply. "Maybe one spark, maybe a dozen, but all the same." He nodded as the water creature bit a chunk out of the fire one, chomping quickly at the sudden burst of flame. "They're eatin' at each other's raw energy."

Fluttershy winced as the fire creature wrapped its tail around the other and swung it through the tree. "So, um... this is just predator and prey, then?"

"Could be. Could be they want ta merge. Or that they're pals and this is just playin'." He shrugged. "Ye be stronger and weaker then them, in ye own way."

"Oh?"

"If they have their wills disrupted, they will be unwoven. Nonbeing. Ye mortal shell gives ye an anchor, boot it also means ye will is nae as open as they be." He shook his head. "Leave them to it, I say. Pures be unsubtle, and ye be facin' a far more cunnin' foe."

Fluttershy nodded, continuing her trek; still, her eyes wandered to the elemental beasts, engaged as they were in their battle.

Zephyr's hand clenched systematically at his shoulder as he watched the circle still hanging in the air, bound by his own faint yellow lock and showing the image of his sister carefully, cautiously looking around the shifting landscape as she made her way... wherever.

"Why are you so focused on that?" asked the blue-haired girl laboring over the stove. "There's so much more in here then the scry on your sister."

He gave her a flat look. "Is anything more important?"

"Well... that depends on what you mean by important." She shrugged. "Can you do anything that will help or harm her?"

"...I don't think so."

"Then there's no use in worrying. You should be more like the green girl, she's taking this all in stride."

Zephyr's eyes unwillingly moved toward the figure she was pointing out. "Tree Hugger is encased in ice."

"And she's not complaining about it at all." The blue-haired girl clicked her spoon against the stockpot. "I get it, really. It's a big change, and you're still focused on the past. But you're here, now, and what you can do here? That's all that really matters."

"Really. So I shouldn't worry about my family, or my friends, or all the people in the world that might be affected because I was stupid enough to let some fairy lady--"

"Ut-ut-ut!" She pointed the spoon at him. "She's Fay, not fairy. Calling her a fairy is like calling you an animal." A shiver went down her spine. "I learned that lesson quickly."

Zephyr blinked. He took a moment to peer at the girl.

"...How long have you been with her, anyway?"

"Mmmm... I'm not sure. Time in fae doesn't move the same way it does in worlds. There are... twists." She rubbed her face. "I... I noticed I wasn't aging a while ago. I think it might be because the mistress likes how well I serve her."

"Do you like being her... pet?"

"She saved my life.... she taught me so much..." The girl gave him a look. "She's not the kind that beats you if you make a mistake. She's never so much as raised a hand against me."

Zephyr quirked an eyebrow. "Then... why are you so afraid to say her name?"

"I--I don't want to upset her." The girl turned back to the pot. "I was such a monster when she found me, I was so absorbed in my own delusions of godhood, and she... she tore that away. Her words made me realize, I was nothing. Nothing compared to her."

A happy smile formed on her face. "She is glorious. And I am blessed to serve her."

Zephyr flinched.

His eyes moved from her, to the frozen Tree Hugger, and back to the image of Fluttershy. "...I've been such a fool."

Winter Lights tapped the canister hidden beneath her glamour, watching the patterns that wove and slithered through the air in front of her. The fall court hadn't stepped in themselves, but that was easily circumvented; some trade agreements, a few bonds here and there, and she could have her own people work on siphoning through the bastion. Well, so long as they agreed.

Her ascension to the throne had been halted, a brief setback in her otherwise brilliant scheme. That was acceptable; in all honesty, she should have expected such foolishness from the courtesans, bickering and arguing for their own rights. Inheritance was nice, but it wasn't exactly earned. Even if she had respect, she was not respected... yet.

Well, not by her kin. Her pet... there was a different story.

She considered checking on the scry of her bond-partner's sister, if only to laugh at her foolishness, but... it wasn't as though she could do anything, even in the fae. The breezie guide might lead her to the winter court, and then what? Would she threaten to bring her god friend into the realm? An empty promise.

No. There was nothing worth fearing from her. Winter Lights was rising, and soon, she would meet her fate.

Author's Note

Those of them with sunlight blessed tower tall and strong
And those who think them fools won't be fools for long.

Fall

"And how is my bondpartner on this fine morn?"

Zephyr rubbed the back of his head. "Actually, I was... wondering... is there anything I can do?"

Winter Lights gave him a curious look. "There are certainly plenty of things you can do, Zephyr. Why, you can breathe. You can speak. I'm fairly certain you would be a relatively decent dancer."

"I mean, is there anything I can do to, uh, alleviate my boredom?"

The girl with blue hair gasped, almost dropping her broom---but managed to catch it before it hit the ground.

Winter Lights slowly raised an eyebrow. "You are suffering from... boredom?" she asked, her tone cool and frosty.

Zephyr swallowed. "I wouldn't say suffering. I just... feel that so long as I am here, I should be doing something that is worth my effort. Maybe... I don't know, I'm a decent artist. Maybe I could try to create a portrait of you?"

"Hmm." Winter Lights turned toward the circle. "So watching your sister struggle is no longer entertaining."

"No, it is! But a man cannot simply watch. It's in our nature to act, as well. You know?" Zephyr shrugged. "I'm sorry for being a bother, it's just... even before I met you I was trying so hard to accomplish something, and now..."

"And now, though you live a life of luxury, you feel as though you do not impact anything. An interesting transformation from the young man I first met." Winter's icicle-like laugh resounded briefly throughout the chamber. "Very well... perhaps you can assist me."

With a twirl of her fingers she produced some white hairs. Zephyr hadn't even seen her pull them from her head--and perhaps, she had not, merely made them appear out of thin air? He didn't have time to think about it before they were placed delicately in his own palm.

"I'm expecting more guests from your realm," she explained. "And while I have set arrangements to greet them, I cannot keep my attention on them constantly--quite a bit is occurring, you see, so much I must oversee. But, should they be wearing bracelets made of my own substance, I should be able to locate them quickly--perhaps to rescue them from the dangers of the fae."

"So... you want me to make bracelets out of your hair."

"Someone with your cunning fingers should be able to create many swiftly," Winter purred.

Zephyr's face flushed. "Um. Alright. I, uh, guess I'll do that, then."

"Good boy." She turned to the blue-haired girl. "And you, working without even my asking you. What a clever pet."

"I aim to please, mistress."

"And your efforts are pleasing."

The girl shivered with a grin. "Thank you, mistress. If... I may humbly ask, do... you need me to do anything?"

"Aside from your usual chores... well. I suppose the throne does need a bit of polish."

"Really?" The girl's hands tightened eagerly on the broomstick. "You're letting me polish your throne?"

"You'll find the polish next to the soap. Oh, but do be careful." Winter smiled faintly. "Some of the gems can get jealous if they aren't as shiny as their neighbors."

It had taken Fluttershy a while to notice the sky. Once she did, though, she wondered how she hadn't seen it before.

There were... things, floating far above her. Some, shining globes in all the myriad colors, could perhaps have been compared to suns, the same way a firefly might have some semblance of a lightbulb. There were rocky outcroppings, bound to nothing, some with castles or mountains or forests, long gossamer threads linking them to each other or the ground. It had been one those that actually attracted her attention up in the first place; the thread was a stone bridge with no stairs, only a gentle curve as it grew longer and longer--

It wasn't the floating islands or the miniature suns or even the occasional sky whale that made her wary. Those were all fantasy staples, she'd seen them in video games and stories before. No, it was...

Back home, the sky was limitless, a curved plain of blue during the day and bracketed only by the stars at night. Here, it... reflected the light of the suns. Here, she could see it warp, bend, a massive but still far too small network of tunnels around that which was around her. In some places there were forests, in others mountains, and in between there was...

...something, fluid but solid, a viscous film of unknown, bizarrely twisting and oscillating in undecipherable patterns...

She tore her eyes away, bringing them back to the ground before her, and tried not to think of how the horizon curved up and in instead of down and out.

"...what are we looking for, Seabreeze?"

The fairy scoffed. "Ach, hard tae say. The winter court has many glamours, and Winter Lights is a princess--she would know more then most, even if she dinnae craft her own achievements."

Fluttershy sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Zephyr Breeze, for the bond. Tree Hugger, probably because she can see aura. And invisible giants... to capture interlopers."

"Aye, she dinnae want ye kin to notice."

"Right. Right." Fluttershy took a breath. "Wandering is getting us nowhere. You're a guide in the sense you know what we see, but not in the sense that you know what to look for."

Seabreeze huffed. "I cannae say ye be wrong..."

"So... if we can't find her, we need to make her come to us. Or at least, what she does. If she doesn't want to be noticed, we need to make a situation where she has to act to avoid it."

Her eyes fell on her companion.

"...Seabreeze, how do bonds work?"

"Eh? Well, if I wanted tae form a pact with ye, I would exchange our matching sparks. Fire for fire, earth for earth..."

"And... what would each of us get out of it, do you think?"

"It depends on the bond. Obviously we would have access to each other's magic--ye would be able tae feel the life o' things, and I would have some touch o' ye world's power... and I would not be unwoven by salt. But beyond that..." Seabreeze paused. "What... what are ye thinking, lass?"

"I'm thinking... that I want to ask you a big, big favor." Fluttershy took a breath. "Seabreeze... I'd like to make a pact."

Winter Lights glared at the area around the bastion.

It had been going well. It had been going so well. Yes, there were problems, there were always problems--she had always expected problems. A simple success was boring. And when the schemes of others got involved, well. She loved the dance, the piloting of pawns and plots. Even the unexpected was entertaining... usually.

This was not the result of a plot or a pawn, though. Somebody was... flipping the table, so to speak. These lands had been claimed, pulled into fae by proper rites--and now they were sinking back to the other realm.

There was a traitor. That was the only explanation. She disliked traitors, they always made things so... complicated.

Who would be so bold, so brazen, as to contact the local goddess? She had heavily implied that her servants showed no hesitation in the unweaving of Fay. Somebody would have to distrust her enough to examine her words--plausible--and either be ambitious or simply desperate enough to reach out. Winter was still new to her position, so ordinary court politics wasn't reasonable--smaller tests would be more frequent. So ambition was out...

Desperation. What would make a Fay so desperate as to seek out a god? The fae had not destabilized anywhere near here; no traveler had come from foreign planes...

...the mortal.

Fluttershy.

Winter Lights brought her fingers to her forehead. Fluttershy, friend to the goddess, whose friend and brother she had ensnared. And she had left her with that spring court liar. Oh, how well the net was woven...

Though it was not unsalvagable. One point of contact. Easily handled. And there were other bastions. Lose here, and prepare elsewhere. The universe was certainly big enough.

With a firm nod, she turned away, unweaving and spiraling toward her lair.

As Fluttershy made her way through grass towering twice her height, her eyes flickered left and right warily. Quiet noise came from all around, chirps and songs and clicks, some very familiar and some not nearly so. She had to keep moving, had to make it look like she had only a vague idea what she was doing... if Winter was watching, or any other Fae, then perhaps--

--her foot slipped and she fell--

--into a cavern that, really, had not been there before. With a groan, she pushed herself up, looking above her and finding solid rock. She turned, with a frown; there was no aperture, no sign of the grassy plain she had been on before.

And come to think of it, how was she able to see anyway? There seemed to be light, but there wasn't a source, just... vague glimmers on the smooth stone around her.

Fluttershy shivered, rubbing her shoulders. "Alright. Yeah, this will go splendidly, won't it." She pushed herself to keep going forward. "In a land of Fay, in a dark cavern, trying to find my brother. Where oh where have I seen this one before."

"There are many stories of us."

The girl paused, looking around at the sudden voice. "...Winter Lights, I presume?"

"Perhaps. Perhaps I have another name. But you, you are Fluttershy."

"I wasn't always." Fluttershy continued walking forward cautiously, her eyes darting about. "I used to be a tree."

"Ah, yes, I heard of that... It must have been a fascinating experience. Though, I would wager, not nearly as fascinating as the one you are having now."

"Well, um, this isn't really fascinating anymore. Just tedious."

"...Tedious." The voice, so airy before, had taken a sharp edge.

"Yes, quite tedious." She ran her hand against one of the smooth stones. "Don't get me wrong, this place really is very intriguing, from what I've seen. An explorer could spend days, weeks, months and not lose their sense of wonder, but... well, I came here for a reason."

"So you did." The voice seemed contemplative, now. "And... if I were to grant you that reason, you would leave?"

Fluttershy paused. "...Well, I've heard many stories of people who were tricky with their words. I think I would like to discuss things with you first. Face to face."

The cavern was silent, for a moment or two.

Then frosty winds gusted around her. "Then we shall meet at once!"

Zephyr jumped as a jet of snow whisked from above. It hit the ground heavily, exploding and springing upward to reveal---

"Fluttershy!"

His sister coughed, pushing herself to her feet with a wobbly grin. "Hey... hey little bro. Hold on, I need to talk to your girlfriend for a bit."

She turned around, watching the snow spiral around the pillar, walking unsteadily to the throne. "Enough with your theatrics! Honestly, you're worse then mister Discord."

A scandalized gasp escaped the lips of the girl with blue hair, loud enough to draw the attention of his sister. Her eyes widened when they fell on her, and went even wider as they traveled to the green girl encased in ice.

The small chortle from the throne caught everyone's attention. There sat Winter Lights, in all her unglamoured glory, one ankle idly resting on another as she twirled her hair. "Miss Fluttershy. I do apologize for my lack of proper greeting. Had I known you were so desperate to meet me, I would have been more... prepared."

Fluttershy took a breath, and brought her hands together. "Winter Lights. I hope we can settle our affairs amicably."

"Oh, of course, of course. After all, we both have much more pressing matters to attend to; me to my kingdom and you to, ah, what was your job again?"

"I work at an animal shelter."

"And I'm sure you're enraptured by your duties." Winter Lights brought her hands together. "The bastion. What did you do?"

Fluttershy crossed her arms. "I have done nothing to the bastion."

"Oh, very well, what did you do to get Sunset Shimmer's attention on it?"

"What would you give for that information?"

Zephyr Breeze took a breath. "Sis, maybe you should--"

Winter Lights held up a hand, giving him a pointed look. He fell silent.

She turned back to his sister. "You propose an exchange."

"I demand it."

"Such boldness would be considered foolish in the court."

Fluttershy narrowed her eyes. "And yet, we are not in the court."

"Hmm. True." Winter tapped her fingers together. "...Very well. Let me make this interesting. You may take from this room one soul to your world."

"With all that they have and own?"

"Oh, indeed! Mortal souls would not survive without a body." Winter grinned. "Sibling, Shopkeep, Student. Family, friend, or foe. I wonder which you shall choose."

Fluttershy smiled. "I think I already know."

"Very good. Tell me your secret, then I shall allow you your decision. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

Zephyr held up a finger. "Um, Fluttershy, I--"

"I used my bond with the trees to inform Sunset of the situation."

He facepalmed.

"Hmm. Something unique to you. Something difficult to replicate... yes. I shall work around that in the future." Winter stood, hand outstretched. "Now then, as agreed, one soul. Name them, and they shall be yours."

Fluttershy took her hand... and clasped it tight. "Winter Lights. You and yours are coming with me."

She felt it. A great reverberation, through her entire form. The walls rippled and suddenly, suddenly she was falling in new light. For a brief moment, the long forgotten sun shone bright upon her.

It was, just barely, enough.

The air was knocked out of her as she hit the ground, and she took a shivering breath. Thin plates of ice slid slowly off her back as she listened, listened to the sound of sarcastic clapping, moving earth, screams of panic and mocking laughter.

Slowly, slowly, she pushed herself up to her feet, noticing the various object littered around the clearing. Names began to fumble into her mind as she took in the scene. That was Indigo Zap, trying to fight her way to a stone pillar. And Zephyr Breeze, attempting--not very well--to hold her back. There was Fluttershy, on the ground, with a fairy of some sort flitting around her in worry....

And atop the pillar itself, casually sipping what might have been tea, sat Winter Lights.

"A well planned assault, I admit." The Fay seemed not to have noticed her, focused on Fluttershy as she was. "Had I a shell like yours, I've no doubt you would have captured me. And then, what? Brought me to justice? How would that have saved those in the fae?" The teacup landed on the saucer with a small clink.

And around her, colors swirled. Blue, red, yellow... orange.

Orange.... yes.

Her eyes moved from Winter to Zephyr, still struggling as he was with the pale girl. She began to stumble forward, her legs not quite remembering what it was like to walk. Indigo broke free of his grasp, rushing to the pillar, she peered at the girl carefully before shrugging it off.

"Ye nae be tha hero ye claim!" declared the fairy hovering around Fluttershy. "Ye be a manipulative, self-servin' wench what nae can achieve her goals save by tearin' down others!"

Winter Lights leveled a flat look on the creature. "Your words are as vapid as your rites, wethrinaer. By good fortune alone have I decided not to strike against you."

Her green toes nudged against the boy's shoulder, and she looked down. With careful movements, she knelt, taking Zephyr's shoulder and pulling him to his feet. He groaned, rubbing his head, and gave her a confused look. "Tree Hugger, what--?"

"Shhhh." She put a finger to his lips, before trailing down. "Be.... ready."

There it was. Orange, but not the right shade. One hand against it, not yet grasping.... her eyes widened, following the trail through the air.

"Enough of this. Your diversion was interesting, but I have places to be." Winter Lights stood, taking Indigo's hand, and beginning to unweave---

--and Tree Hugger snagged the faint orange trail, jerking it toward her.

Winter reformed with a stumble, looking around in shock. "What--?! You!" She surged forward, claws of ice forming on her fingers as she growled. "You DARE reweave a princess!"

The sharp clarity sliced off one of her dreads as she leaned left, just barely keeping her face unmarred. "I bring balance and transformation. You are unbalanced, and shall be transformed."

"Let go of mistress!" Indigo lunged forward--and fell as Fluttershy grabbed her ankle. "Ow! Hey!"

"Seabreeze, help her!"

"Aye lass!" The fairy flittered over, dodging Winter's wild swing and raising a column of earth to ensnare her wrist.

Zephyr stepped forward, but Tree Hugger held him back with a hand. "Stay still... I need you still."

"What? Why?"

She rolled her eyes. "After this you and I are going to have a long talk."

Winter Lights snarled as her other hand was snatched by a twisting spiral of soil. The fairy buzzed around her, giving Tree Hugger a look. "Whatever ye have planned, lass, do it quick!"

The soil beneath her feet wrapped around her ankles; her grip on the orange light tightened, and with a twist she elicited a gasp of shock from both human and Fay. She reached out and snatched the two orange bundles, jamming them quickly into their original hosts; the boy stumbled back, letting her grasp the light of winter with both hands.

"Ram heee, lam-vam hee, hee om-ham-yam, heeeeeeeeeee!"

Each bundle was forced, protesting, into its place. The light that flowed between them tangled and untangled, glitters suddenly bound in solid form. Soil and clay crawled all along the struggling visage, flashes and sparks lighting in sudden transition.

With a final primal scream, an explosion of brightness shone through the trees.

"Oh thank Sunset! You're alive!"

Indigo Zap seemed frozen, arms pinned to her sides as she took in the half-relieved, half-amused smiles on the faces of her fellow Shadowbolts. "...I am, yes. Sour Sweet, what are you--?"

Her assailant released her and delivered a powerful slap to her face. "What the FUCK were you thinking, trying to go so fast?! We looked everywhere and beyond, and--and we thought--I thought you were--" Tears came fast and hard, even as she gave a frustrated scream.

"Easy, Sour. She's probably been through a lot." Sunny Flare put a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "The important thing is she's home now, and we can help her readjust."

"Right. Right." Sour sniffed, choking back an angry sob. "I'm sorry, I just... she's back, and she's safe, and I thought I'd take this better but, but it's all coming at once-- I don't know, maybe I need to adjust my dosage or something--"

Lemon stepped forward with a chuckle. "Nah, trust me, your emotions are totally normal." She wrapped Indigo in a tight embrace. "Welcome back, you crazy sky goddess. If you ever pull another stunt like this, I'll sic uncle Dissy on your ass."

Indigo managed a weak chuckle. "That's... not going to be necessary. I learned I wasn't the hot stuff I thought I was very soon after mistress found me."

An awkward silence descended on the gathered teens.

Lemon Zest pulled back from the hug. "...Um, who is mistress, exactly?"

"She is... she's the most glorious being I have ever met." Indigo sighed. "She saved me and... I was blessed to serve her."

"Sounds like an extreme case of stockholm syndrome," Sugarcoat deadpanned.

Indigo glared at her. "I'm not delusional anymore."

"Easy, easy." Lemon stepped between them. "We don't know the details. We're just worried about you, and we want to explore all the possibilities just to make sure you're okay. And you know Sugarcoat's very... blunt when she's nervous."

"Which is always," Moondancer pointed out.

Sugarcoat rolled her eyes. "I concede the point. I just want to make sure you're okay mentally, as well as physically."

Indigo took a breath. "I'll be okay. I know calling her mistress is... kind of a warning sign. It's just... she really did save me, and she really did care for me. Alright? No matter what else she did, that much was real."

She took in the concerned looks of the others, and held up her hands. "Look, I'll see a therapist if that makes you all more comfortable. I promise. Let's just talk about something else for now, okay? What did I miss?"

"Well, Sugarcoat and Moondancer started dating," Sour Sweet mused. "And Sunny Flare and Lemon Zest are 'Definitely Not Dating,' even though they decided to learn a new language from that fish girl Discord found--oh, she's found her sisters and they started a news program about magic."

"And there are the angst monsters," Moondancer pointed out. "And that sect of Shimmerism that Lemon joined turned into a whole big thing when they started to save people from them. I think they're considering starting up a school or something like that."

"Also there was that musical thing, you remember that?" Lemon grinned. "Yeah, us and the Rainbooms made a whole music video, got a ride on a yacht. I mean people accused the judges of trying to appease Sunset by letting us win, but she pointed out that she didn't participate and at this point she could get a yacht anyway..."

Indigo nodded and listened and, occasionally, laughed with the others. And in the privacy of her mind, she wondered how her mistress was faring.

“...So what’s the verdict?”

Twilight adjusted her glasses. “Well... genetically, she’s human. I mean there’s a few mutations, the four fingers, the height, the pointed ears, I’m pretty sure she’s lactose intolerant, but strictly speaking she’s now a member of our species.” She tapped her clipboard with a pen. “Mentally, she’s... not responding to us. I don’t know if there are any empaths in the church, so I can’t say whether it’s an actual trauma or if she’s just faking being so... out of it.”

“And... magically?” Sunset asked.

“...She has human magic. No equestrian aspects, just pure earth-side magic.” She glanced up from the paper. “I don’t need to tell you what that means, do I?”

Sunset shook her head, looking through the observation window at the woman who was lying on her bed, breathing. “You’re sure of that. You didn’t detect anything else?”

Twilight bit her lip. “Not... officially. I mean when I turned on the scanner there was a... well, you know how sometimes in old movies the film wouldn’t be aligned right, so there’s a small jolt? That happened, but with high end technology.” She glanced through the window. “Even if she does have other magic, though, it’d be very... minimal. I’m more worried about the access to raw Earth magic then... whatever else she has.”

Sunset shut her eyes, a faint glow forming behind them--and Winter Light started twitching, thin gasps of pain escaping her lips. As soon as the light died off, she stopped, taking deep and gasping breaths.

“...What did you just do?”

“I just tried to look at her!” Sunset protested. “Just to make sure she wasn’t hiding anything!”

Twilight quirked a brow.

Sunset sighed. “Really, that’s all I did. I don’t know why she reacted like that--”

“She’s in the wrong form.”

The two of them turned to the speaker, who didn’t even look at them.

“Say again?”

“She’s trapped in the wrong body.” Tree Hugger simply looked through the window. “She’s caged. It’s all... new. She can feel any magic, and even the lightest look of a god--”

“I’m not a--”

“--is enough for her to try to escape her form. Like she used to be able to.” Tree Hugger shook her head. “This... this is a slow and methodical torture for her. She may as well be rotting alive.”

Twilight took a breath. “You... did what you needed to do to save the world. You’re a hero--”

“No I’m not.” Tree Hugger didn’t even look at her. “I violated her basic self and turned her into something else.”

“Tree--”

“Award me no accolades, grant me no praises. This is a crime, and...” The girl sighed, turning away. “And I’ll have to live with it.” She walked away, shoulders slumped.

Twilight tried to walk after her, but Sunset grabbed her shoulder. “Let her go.”

“She’s beating herself up over nothing!”

“She’s beating herself up over her beliefs. And, unfortunately, I can’t change what people believe.” Sunset’s humorless grin was wry. “Well, not without violating my own sense of ethics.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Yes, well, I’m not you.” She paused. “...although, I suppose Tree Hugger wouldn’t be receptive to my arguments at this time... I’ll leave it be, for now.”

"Yeah, probably for the best... I'll talk to Fluttershy, see if she can get through to her... well, after she gets Zephyr settled back in anyway." Sunset massaged her brow. "What a mess. I should have noticed something much sooner."

"The Fay have been hiding from mortals and gods for... basically forever. It's not your fault."

"Doesn't mean I don't feel guilty."

Twilight nodded, conceding the point. Then, awkwardly, she cleared her throat. "So... how is Zephyr doing anyway?"

"...Fluttershy says he's coping, but... this rattled him. Really." Sunset sighed. "I can only hope she can help him."

Fluttershy leaned on the doorframe, watching as her brother slowly rolled his icon pin in his fingers.

"...so what happens now?"

She shrugged. "Seabreeze is helping Sunset negotiate with the Fay. Apparently, Winter had fooled them into thinking we were going to invade, but some guy she'd trapped ended up revealing the whole thing. They like that, it's very story-like, and stories are important to them..."

"And... what's going on with Winter?"

"She...." Fluttershy bit her lip. "She's being held in a Shimmerist church for now. Sunset kind of wants to make sure she won't try anything, but, um... she's been nonresponsive. Awake, still there, just not... acting."

Zephyr nodded, still looking at the pin in his hands.

"...you know, I thought... for a while there... that she actually cared. I mean, not like she loved me or anything, I'm not stupid, but it was like.... like maybe she thought I could be something." He sighed. "And she used me."

Fluttershy pushed herself off the doorframe and gently sat down on the bed next to him. "I... I really am sorry, Zephyr. That sort of person... the one that sees others as pawns and playthings, well, they're always going to exist."

"It wasn't like that, though. She didn't even... I mean, if Winter Lights had convinced me to sell drugs or rob a store or something, that would be one thing, but she only wanted the pact. She didn't even respect me enough to use me that way, she just... I was some sort of trophy to her."

"Like a pet?"

Zephyr snorted. "No, that was the girl. Indigo, right?"

"Yeah." Fluttershy bit her lip. "The Shadowbolts say she's doing... mostly okay, but...."

"...but she's still worshiping Winter." He looked down at the icon pin. "I just... I don't know. I thought we had something. Maybe I still do."

The room was silent for a moment.

Fluttershy wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Zephyr... whatever happened with you and Winter... maybe you won't ever get an answer and you'll be wondering about it for the rest of your life. But that doesn't mean the rest of your life doesn't deserve to be lived."

"Yeah. I guess." With a deep breath, he put the pin on his cuff. "So... thanks, though. For going after me, even after I screwed up with the tree thing."

Fluttershy chuckled. "Hey, I'm your big sis. It's what I do." Her face grew serious. "But that doesn't mean I'm going back to doing your laundry, you got it?"

"Haha, no. No, I think... I think I can handle that much."

Author's Note

With crafty hands and handy crafts all through the darkest glen
Beware the power of Autumn and fear the little men.

Appendices

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.

Author's Note

But most of all, ware those who come home after fae they find
for some of them, they will have left part of their heart behind.