((This is still a rough edit, and will be altered later))

Kera pounded on the bark door of the strange house. A sing-song "~Coming!" came from within.

Aelwen continued to stare at the world around her, marveling at the tall grass and seemingly giant bugs. A ladybug that fluttered gently by looked as big as her hand.

The door slammed open, causing Aelwen to jump.

"Hiya!" a female fairy cried. Her thin form bounced forward, long strawberry-blonde ponytail bobbing behind her. Her round face was speckled with freckles as her hands brushed oil onto her balloon pants. "The name's Jane Florence! How can I help ya!?" She gave a beaming white smile.

Aelwen blinked in surprise, then glanced at Kera.

"Hey, Jane. We need a Shift necklace for this one." She motioned her head towards Aelwen.

"AHH!" Jane cried, causing Aelwen to wince. The fairy grabbed her two visitor's hands, and dragged them inside the building. They were directed to sit at a pair of stools made of silver coins strapped to twig legs. A coffee table sat before them, which was covered in bits and baubles of all kinds. in the center lay a tray of tiny sweets.

"Go ahead and take one!" Jane motioned to the sweets before flittering over to a drawer and pulling out a notepad, pen, and strange-looking magnifying glass.

Aelwen looked around the living room in awe as she slowly took one of the sweets. The circular floor was carpeted in light purple moss, the metal walls covered almost entirely with blueprints for various wacky contraptions. Sketches, scribbles, and fully fleshed out plans were plastered in irregular fashions, designs with similar ideas grouped together. Several orange and purple glass balls containing lights dangled from the ceiling. Besides the two chairs and table, a spacious drawing desk before a large window sat at the back of the room. Pieces of chalk and graphite were carved into pencil-like shapes, while a cut sliver of wood marked with ink acted as a ruler. These utensils were scattered about the desk haphazardly. A half-finished sketch of what looked like a steam-powered boat lay under a cookie-filled bowl made of half a walnut shell. Bark doors leading to other rooms were closed tightly.

Jane sat at the desk, swiveling her magically floating leaf-chair to face them. She rested her hand on her palm while leaning on the drawing.

"So!" She exclaimed, "I heard you're Princess Aelwen!"

"Yes, I am indeed she," Aelwen gave a small wave, popping the sweet into her mouth.

"And you're on our side now!" Jane gave another wide grin. "Oh wow, this is great! This is amazing! This is perfect! You've been to Ceruby City, right?! Oh, you've got to tell me what it's like there! I've heard so many stories of technological marvels and a place for scientists to freely-"

Kera sighed and raised an eyebrow. "Jane. Focus."

Jane's smile disappeared, and she cleared her throat. "Yes, of course. Sorry!" She flicked her fingers, and the necklace lacing around her throat gently lifted, twirling slowly before Aelwen. "This is a Shift Necklace. It is used by pretty much every creature who desires to transform on a regular and sudden basis. It takes whatever clothes, bags, or jewelry you have on your person, and stores them when you change to another form. That way, they won't be damaged when you change back. It also works vice versa, so anything you had donned as a dragon would be stored while human. It also has a self dressing feature. When you change back to human, it will quickly and almost instantaneously materialize your clothes and bags to where you had them before. The gem in the center of the necklace is almost like a small pocket reality, able to hold a good number of things in the aether of the universe. Very, very handy; definitely a must have for Shifters and fairies." Jane took a sweet of her own and chewed on it. She abruptly slammed her desk, one of the pencils flipping upward into the air and landing directly on her hand. She grinned, twirled it, and then thwacked the tip against a blank notepad in her other hand. "Let's do this!"

Aelwen almost wanted to laugh at Jane's bursting personality, but instead she just smiled. "Alright!" she said, getting caught up in the excitement.

"First off, I need to analyze your scales and determine their composition. The center gem must be made of the same mineral as your scales in order to work properly."

"Am I able to turn into a dragon as a fairy...?"

"I'll use magic to change a finger or two. That should be enough to determine the type of mineral."

Jane flittered over to Aelwen, waving her hand. Immediately, Aelwen's fingers of her right hand began to sprout scales and her fingernails morphed into claws. Jane placed her strange magnifying glass over them, light reflecting through the glass shining through the brilliant scarlet scales. She gave a loud hmm, rubbing her chin with a finger. She took a small needle tool from her desk and scratched at one of them.

"At first glance, I thought these to be ruby, but it looks like these scales are made from a mineral in the garnet family," Jane said. "Pyrope, it looks like. The semi-dark red color and respondance to physical distress confirm this." She sat up, flipping her strawberry-blonde ponytail behind her back.

"Well, looks like your necklace will have a pyrope gem as its center. Interestingly enough, the name pyrope actually means fire eye. That's why I like to call it bloodshot!" Jane laughed so hard she snorted repeatedly.

Aelwen blinked in confusion. Kera rolled her eyes.

"B-because, if an eye is bloodshot, it can feel like it's on fire? I guess?" Jane's laugh trailed off. "Uh, anyway... let me get that gem for you..." She flittered to a door on the right side of the room, unlocked it, and dashed through.

Aelwen looked at Kera and gave a half-smile. "Well, she's certainly... energetic."

Kera gave an 'uh-huh.'

A human's pocket watch hung on the wall over the front door, ticking slowly in the awkward silence.

"So... I noticed your hair is all black, without a noticeable Shifter's streak in it. Does that mean your dragon form is black, like ebony?"

Kera snorted. "Nah. I dyed my streak. Didn't like it."

"Why?"

"Meh."

"Uhm, what?"

"I said, I didn't like it. That's all."

"Oh, ok." Aelwen folded her hands in her lap, looking away.

Jane popped back into the room, her cheeks as red as the carved gemstone she now carried. It was about the size of her eye. She displayed it before Aelwen, who gazed at it in quiet awe. It was stunningly beautiful, and the exact color of her scales, a slightly darkened red.

"Now for the design of the necklace to hold it. I have several pre made ones, ready for any gem to be popped into them. You can take a look through my notebook, I have several sketches of what they look like."

Aelwen accepted the stack of bound papers, flipping casually through them. Necklaces of all kinds were contained within, from long, dangling pendants to elegant chokers. The latter caught her eye. A silver ribbon made up the bulk of the piece, while twisting copper vines bearing tiny metal leaves wrapped around the edges and created the gem holder.

Aelwen pointed at it. "I'll have this one, please."

"Right, right. Sounds good. I'll fetch this for you too!" This time, she headed into the room on the left. After a few moments, and a large crashing noise, Aelwen and Kera started as they heard her begin to scream.

"JAMES! What did you DO!?" Jane's voice screeched from behind the door.

A man's voice piped up. "I dunno. I just wanted to see what would happen if-"

"No no no no! I told you not to touch the automaton oil canisters! Now look what's happened! I just can't believe-"

"Heyyy, girl. Calm down. Look what I discovered-"

"I don't care about your experiments, I care about mine! Take your filthy things out of my workshop!" Jane let out a frustrated cry. "I swear if this happens again I will-"

"Not do anything. I'm your poor, orphaned cousin. You can't just kick me out, else-"

"That's not what I meant, what I'm saying is that I'll-"

The heated conversation went on a bit longer, each person interrupting the other over and over. Eventually, it ended with a great harrumph! and Jane exited the room to meet the wide-eyed gazes of her visitors. Random splotches of oil covered her from head to toe. In her hand was clasped a small box.

"Here..." she grumbled, tossing it to Aelwen, who managed to catch it with fumbling fingers.

"My cousin. Yes. That was him," Jane said as if the girls had asked. "Unlike myself, who is an esteemed engineer and geologist, he decided to take up the science of..." She grimaced, "Biology." She looked at her visitors as if expecting them to react in kind. When they didn't, she narrowed her eyes. "You know, the most disgusting of sciences! Has to do with blood and guts and gross squishy things like that. Feh! I prefer things neat, clean, and exact, which engineering offers in droves! I just can't understand him! I mean-"

Aelwen elected to ignore the rest of the fairy's words, and opened the box while nodding as if listening. The choker necklace, wrapped in soft tissue paper, was absolutely beautiful, reminding her of the green one her father had given her for her tenth birthday. Her nimble fingers clicked the gem into place within its holder. She lightly touched it, feeling the shiny smooth surface. Kera watched as she fastened it around her neck.

"Looks okay," she said, shrugging a shoulder.

"Huh?" Jane stopped her ramblings. "Oh, I see. Well, I think it looks quite nice. Thank you for visiting me! I'd be glad to have you stay longer, but I've got that situation to properly deal with."

"Good." Kera sniffed at Jane's angry glance before tossing her a packet of coins. "Here's the pay."

"Pay?" Aelwen asked. "You're paying for the necklace?"

"Yea. Stuff like that doesn't come free," Kera said, "Since you don't have any money, mom gave me some to spend for you."

"Oh, I'll make sure to thank her. And, thank you for taking me as well," Aelwen said.

Kera shrugged again.

"WAIT! I just realized something!" Jane exclaimed. "If this little one is to end up traveling beyond the village at some point..."

Aelwen stiffened at the use of the phrase "little one."

"...then surely she will need a sort of disguise."

"That's... actually a good point." Kera rubbed her nose. "A bunch of people in the city would be bound to recognize her."

Aelwen looked from Kera to Jane. "Are you sure? Just because I'm the princess doesn't mean many would know my face. It's not like everyone save for those who have visited the Capitol have seen it."

Kera gave a half smile. Jane gave a small giggle from behind her hand.

Aelwen's brows lowered. "What is it?"

Jane pointed to Aelwen's chair. "Under your tush, girl."

Aelwen pulled up her skirts as she raised herself off of the chair, looking below her. She made an inward gasp as her own face stared back at her. The coin the chair's seat was made out of had her likeness carved into it.

"The currency of the country bears the royal family's faces upon them," Jane said, "And, since everyone handles money..."

"You're bound to be recognized," Kera finished.

"Ah..." Aelwen winced.

"I'll work on a solution. But I must insist you leave now. I apologize!" Jane got up, flittering to the door and opening it. "See you later!"

Aelwen insisted on exploring the fairy village more, but Kera told her Delku and Beveri needed to speak with her. Thus, a disappointed Aelwen and indifferent Kera exited the village, turning into humans as they traveled back through the tunnel.

The afternoon sun spread over the busy Koanan settlement. Kera escorted Aelwen to the largest tent in the place, the one containing the historical paintings. Standing outside the entrance was a young dark-skinned man with bright orange curly hair. Has face held chiseled, sharp features, yet he seemed very friendly and approachable. His ears, unlike Shifters, were furry and dog-like. A long fluffy orange-brown tail wagged behind him. He held a platter of perfectly prepared sandwiches in muscle-bound arms.

"Kera!" He called out with a fanged smile. "I thought you girls might still be hungry, so I made some more food!"

Kera strode up to him in strong, pounding steps. With an aggressive motion, she wrenched the tray out of his arms and slammed it into a surprised Aelwen's hands.

The woman grasped the collar of the man's shirt, lifting him off of the ground... before slamming his face into hers in a passionate, slurping kiss.

Aelwen's mouth lay ajar. She didn't know whether to look away or not.

Kera placed her hands on the back of his head, as the man curled his fingers around her hip, eventually grasping at her-

Aelwen looked away, blood rushing to her cheeks.

A few moments later, Kera tapped on Aelwen's shoulder.

"This is Shev. He's my husband." Kera's hand was intwined with his.

"I-I noticed." Aelwen handed the tray back into Shev's open hand.

"Hey there! Nice to meet you!" Shev beamed. "I figured you might still be hungry... so I made even more for ya. Sorry if you're still full! I can take it back to the kitchen if you are."

"No, it's alright! This is very gracious of you. I enjoyed the other treat immensely. I was very hungry, to be perfectly honest." Aelwen gave a smile back, her face still a shade of pink.

Shev nodded in delight. "Glad to hear! Anyway, you'd better get inside. Beveri and Delku and expecting you. They say it's important."

Aelwen grabbed a sandwich before the couple walked away, staring into eachother's eyes. Aelwen pursed her lips. At least they seem to be very happy with their very public relationship. Can't say everyone else in the village likely feels the same way. She gave a tiny grin before looking back at the flaps of the tent behind her.

Well, here we go. She took a deep breath as she fingered her necklace. Let's hope this isn't as shocking as last time.