The Cheshires

Once upon a boring night, I watched a tv show. As I watched the tv show, I became increasingly more annoyed at the stupidity of the characters. I wished desperately to climb through the screen, into the world of the characters, and give each of them and well-deserved slap in the face. Hence was born the first Cheshire, Luna. Also known as The Outsider, a high rank of Cheshire, she travels through many stories, delivering advice and guidance to many characters throughout the worlds. As I tell my stories, I oftentimes encounter those who do not understand the ways of the Cheshires, and so I will, once and for all, explain about the Cheshires, and their home.

We shall begin with their home, or headquarters. The land of Iridium is a city that sits upon the clouds, the buildings made of white marble and glass. The layout of the city is like that of a college campus, with the Royal Cheshire Academy serving as the shining jewel at the center of it all. The dormitories lie near the main hall, and around the other school buildings are apartments, shops, and on the outskirts of the city are the headquarters of the Guardians. When a Cheshire graduates from the Academy, he or she becomes a Guardian, either of Order, or Chaos. The Guardians of Order, when their contract expires, or if they are killed in the field, are sent to the land beyond Iridium's farthest border, at the top of a green hill, with a rainbow wall of precious stones, stretching endlessly in both directions, behind a gate of mother-of-pearl and silver, in the golden city of light. Guardians of Chaos, on the other hand, are cast down to a place of endless darkness when their contract expires. Though there are some special exceptions. A Cheshire knows this before they graduate. They are educated about the paths they may choose by a mentor, who selects them at their enrollment. These mentors will guide the young Cheshire, being both a teacher and caretaker until they are old enough to make their own decisions. One such decision is what course they will take upon graduation, the role of a Guardian of Order, or of Chaos. Also upon graduation, another choice awaits them. What form will be theirs for the rest of their lives. A Cheshire may choose their own form when they become a Guardian. This is where the myths of unicorns, mermaids, and many other mythical creatures come from. Although these creatures did exist once, or may still exist, those which have been seen are more likely to be Cheshires than actual mythical creatures.
When a Cheshire chooses their path, they are accepted into the headquarters belonging to that choice of Guardian. They are given assignments to assist the characters of a given story, or distract them, depending on what sect of Cheshire they are, and what role the character has. When an assignment is given, the Cheshire will proceed to watch the character's story, and then descend to the world's surface, to carry out their assignment.
In the center of Iridium, in Silver Park, there is a courtyard, and in the courtyard are many wells. If one is to look down into a well, they shall see, as though reflected in the water, the story of a character played out, like a movie. The wells are called the Pools of Sight, and this is where the Cheshires receive their knowledge of any given story.
At the edge of Iridium, where the clouds drop off into oblivion, the Cheshires gather, and leap off into the air. This is the Edge, where the clouds end, and if you look down, it is as though looking down into a bright, clear ocean, and there is a city at the ocean floor. This is how the Cheshires come to our worlds. They leap off the Edge, and fall down to the world they choose, and from there carry out their mission.

I have said that Cheshires can choose their form, and although it is true that one form may have advantages over another, all Cheshires share some attributes. All can fly, all can disappear into thin air, quickly, or slowly, starting with their tail, and finishing with their grin, which remains quite a bit longer than the rest of them. They can have a special tool which helps them with their task, and they may have a familiar, but neither is required. They also may work in groups, or with a partner, for maximum efficiency. Cheshires live much longer than humans, up to ten thousand years, but they are not immortal. When they come to the land beyond Iridium, time will end, and exist no more, and they will live forever, but not before.

This, then, is the chronicle of the Cheshire. All information available to a mortal about their race can be found here.
I shall end my relation here.
~Arya