Aern's Pages - originally written around 2000.

There was no turning back. After all, the Old World had lost its luster and was begining to turn sour for many in the Protectorate - and in other Weyrs. So it was decided that the entirety of the Protectorate, from Alabaster Weyrhold through Mama Tani's fosterlings and beyond, would be ... moved.

Such a thing had been done before, by Talor Cliff. But on such a scale? It worked, though some were left behind briefly (caught later by concerned relatives) and some have never quite adjusted to life on Paniya. It's all too 'nice' there...

A lot of people, however, during this changeover also seemingly changed physically. No one really made much of a big deal of it - because they were still the same 'person' albeit with fur, or feathers, or with blue skin...

Like Shard's.

But don't let the exterior fool you. He and Jeremoth are just fine being blue together...

Shard was sitting around, minding his own business (in as much as a man with a gigantic blue dragon, an annoying blue flitter, a blue remorai prowling around, a very pregnant wife, a four year old daughter, and an entire Protectorate could possibly have 'his own' business), when he heard a dragon landing outside his den. Rue was out, but expected back sometime - it couldn't be her could it? She was attending a conference of some kind, and getting gifties from her girlfriends what with her hugely pregnant self...

Shard got up, as Jeremoth was waking from his sleep. "Who could that be?" He asked, though Jere was still too groggy to care to inquire. He instead just opened his eyes and saw a pretty pale green dragoness, and her furry, striped rider.

"Helloooooo!" Raanatani said, bouncing onto the ground from her green Zakurath's shoulders. She bounded up, throwing herself at the tall blue man, who instinctively caught her.

Somewhat speechless, Shard stood there watching her un-rumple her fur, and then Tani announced, "I found something you'll be so interested in!"

"I -" he started to say but she instantly grabbed his hand and dragged him onto the landing ledge where Zakurath purred over something.

"Lookit, isn't it cute! I have one too!" She squealed, and the ... object in Zakurath's paws turned its head to look up.

It shot into the air, tiny wings flapping madly. It was blue with some trim, and...

"Oh - er, um," Shard said, "look if that's for me, I have a lot of other things to --"

"It's not just for you," Tani said with a wink, "it is you. Look!" She let the Littlebit settle on her arm, how it stayed up without legs was a mystery.

He chirruped, flexed his little blue spines, and flew over to Shard. Impulse was interested, but not angry, which surprised Shard a bit. Normally the flitter was a bit posessive.

"Well, yeah," Shard said. "Where did it--" He was unable to ask where it'd come from, because Tani had all but vanished - maybe she had other Littlebits to deliver or something. "So... you have a name?"

Jeremoth mentally announced, Aise, which amused Shard a bit. At least it sounded accurate...