Title: Common Pieces
Summary: One-shots set in the Piece of Eight universe. These are bits of narrative in a variety of styles containing everything you never wanted to know about this crazy AU-Space melded universe of Sherlock and Once Piece. In short, this is a parking place for various tidbits of history and world building but don't let that turn you off because most of these will be more story-like than a true meta.
Parings: None yet
Disclaimer: I own no rights, I make no profit. Created solely for the amusement of myself and any readers who might happen upon it.
Why Shifters and Psychics Don't Get Along
(Attributed to R. Kipling II)
Once upon a time when the children of men lived all on a small planet halfway down an arm of the great spiral galaxy there were three kinds of people. There were those who were clever with their hands, those who were clever with their minds and those who were clever with their forms. In those times, oh Best Beloved, no one could tell any of the kinds apart until they used their gifts. Those who were clever with their hands used tools to build things, those who were clever with their minds manipulated the elements of the world and those who where clever with their forms changed into other animals.
For a long, long, time this was just the way of things until people with each type of gift became jealous of the others. So the powers that be in those times said "take each gift and cleave to yourselves no longer live together." The elders and the leaders of the people knew that this was good advice and did so. The ones who were clever with their hands called themselves Human and went one way. Those who were clever with their minds called themselves Fae and went another. Those who were clever with their forms called themselves Shifters and they stayed put.
Time went along, as it is want to do, and the three kinds lived separate each with their own. They would visit occasionally and engage in commerce, especially to obtain things made by the clever handed ones, but the groups remained apart. This separation by kind did not last forever. Humankind was prolific and grew fast and strong. They started taking more area to live on and eventually began hunting Fae and Shifters to gain more land. So the Fae and the Shifters hid themselves away in the secret places of the world and didn't interact much with Humankind anymore.
This state of affairs remained for ever so long until a leader of the Shifters noticed a problem. His form was that of a wolf and his name was Fenrir. He realized that there were fewer and fewer kits and pups and fledglings in his clan every year. So Fenrir took a journey to see Oberon, King of the Fae.
When he arrived he was treated kindly and ushered in to see the King.
"Oh King," Fenrir said, "I have noticed that there are fewer and fewer shifter kits and pups and fledglings each year. I have also noticed," because Fenrir had been alert on his travels, "that your people are less numerous than before. Do you know why this is and what we can do about it?"
Oberon put his chin in his hand and furrowed his brow. "Let me think on this," he said and dismissed Fenrir to the care of his court.
Fenrir stayed in the court of Oberon and each week he returned before the King and asked his question and each time Oberon would say, "Let me think on this."
Now Fenrir was treated as a privileged guest. He had access to all the accumulated knowledge of the Fae and could talk with the wise as he wished. So after a few weeks he began reading the lore and consulting the wise and finally one day he understood what the problem was and what needed to be done.
That week when he stood before the King he did not ask his question. Instead he said, "Oh King, I have looked through your lore and consulted your wise and I think this problem is not unknown to you. It is an issue of genetic diversity and because we have lived apart from humankind for so long our blood has mingled too closely and become weak."
Oberon put his chin in his hand but said nothing.
Fenrir carried on, "I think we must go live among the humans and interbreed with them to save our gifts."
Oberon grew wroth at these words, "My people are not weak," he yelled. "Get you from my court you mangy cur," for Oberon knew Fenrir's other form, "and never show your face to ask for help again!"
So Fenrir left and went back to his people. The Shifters used the knowledge he had gained and started to infiltrate the human settlements to live among them. They eschewed their other forms the better to hide and pretend to be human. After a long while it became so the blood of the shifters and the humans were intermingled to the point that only a very few could change their form. In fact, in each new generation there were fewer and fewer who had the gift until finally none at all were able to do so.
The Fae, on the other hand, began stealing humans to strengthen their blood line. This was not enough and when Oberon passed beyond his wife Tatianna decreed that the Fae would also hide amongst the humans. The Fae used their minds to hide and like the Shifters integrated into human society. Once again fewer and fewer had the power in each successive generation until the ability was gone.
Years and years and years upon years passed. Humankind forgot the Fae and the Shifters as anything but stories told to children. The clever handed ones became numerous and strong. They built great ships to travel their world and finally ships to travel the stars. Out in the stars, oh Best Beloved, is where this tale becomes interesting.
Humankind went to the stars and lived on the worlds they found there. As they adjusted to those worlds some of that old dormant genetic material left over from the Shifters and the Fae became active. No one knows quite how this occurred but on some worlds the Fae blood woke up and people became Psychic. They were able to move and shape elements with their minds. Strangely it was not only the original powers that occurred but some could speak mind to mind while others see thing afar or in the future. On other worlds the Shifter blood dominated and people could change into animals. Like the Fae powers it was not just normal every day animals but also some species which had not been seen since the days of old Earth.
Now Humankind had learned a thing or two over the long years and they just considered these changes adaptations akin to the changes that happen when humans live in low gravity or high gravity for generations. They decreed that all people be treated as people albeit some with different skills and gifts than others. This was all well and good until someone noticed that those who could shift and those who could psychically alter their world most times did not get along too well together. There were exceptions, but in general the two types of gifts preferred to remain apart if at all possible.
This separation has continued to this very day much to the chagrin of the humans who would very much like to have Psychics and Shifters working in tandem. However to you, oh my Best Beloved, I will tell the truth. Shifters don't like Psychics because all those years ago Oberon refused to help Fenrir and Psychics don't like Shifters because all those years ago Fenir was right.
Those who change to fur and feathers,
Do not with Psychics get together.
It's not because they cannot whelp,
It's because their King refused to help.
It's not because Shifters need to fight,
It's because old Fenrir was right!
Author's Note: Rudyard Kipling, while a man of his day with all the prejudices and proclivities of his era, IMHO is one of the best writers of prose that reads like poetry. It's evident in all his writing but it comes to full fruition in the Just So Stories. This is my attempt at doing the same.
