Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess all dressed in pink. She lived with an adorable, sweet faery all tattooed in vines. The faery and the princess were friends and lovers and partners.

The princess had been born a prince, and she was the only one in all the land who had shifted genders. She also boldly flounced tradition, ignored rules and regulations, and did things her own way – and she was widely regarded as a freak.

The faery had spent most of her life trapped in a jar. Her life inside the jar had kept her sheltered, and her escape from the jar, followed by the journey she took to discover herself, had set her apart from all the other faeries in the land. She was very sensitive and fragile – and she, too, was widely regarded as a freak.

The princess and the faery realized that they had this in common. They wanted to make the entire land safe for those who felt isolated, persecuted, and outcast – but to do that, they would have to change the world.

They discussed how best they could create such change. They decided to band together and create a revolution.

The princess was outgoing, friendly, and was already connected to many people, so she took on the responsibilities of bringing the freaks together. The faery was fierce and loyal and an excellent storyteller, so she took on the responsibilities of telling their stories and forging deeper connections with their freaks.

And in this way, the princess and the faery built a strong and powerful community. They often surveyed their work with pride and awe and delight.

After a time, things began to change.

One day, the faery’s wings broke. She wasn’t able to fly anymore, and her heart, her hopes, and her dreams shattered. Her entire identity had been so integrated with her ability to fly that she no longer knew who she was, and she retreated into her head and lost her connection to her heart. Through long months of rediscovering who she was, the faery’s priorities started shifting dramatically.

Meanwhile, the princess found her own priorities shifting. Her freakiness became less important, and she began to identify differently – making friends and connections that reflected her new inner state.

Through all of these changes, the faery and the princess had grown closer together than ever before. Their lives had continued to intertwine, and to evolve. Their connection to each other deepened as their connections with themselves deepened.

Over many months, the princess and the faery shifted and thought and grew and changed. They shared their thoughts and feelings with each other and with their closest friends. They surveyed their community and realized, to their mutual shock, that the very community had started to reflect their inner changes. They were drawing people to them that matched more closely what they themselves had become.

They had an epiphany.

Things needed to change again.

…to be continued.