Hey, everyone! I've been back online for a few weeks and am ready to start posting stories again. So I have some good news and bad news for anyone who likes reading my stuff. The good news: I have plenty of time to write at my new job, so I should still be able to write lots of fics. The bad news: I have very little time or energy left to edit or proofread after getting home, so the quality of my work may slide a little. (Ha! Like I spent much time with the final polish of my work before.)

Anyway, here's a new story for you. I hope you enjoy!

Prologue

The wet autumn air nipped at everyone who attended New York City's magical Autumn Festival that evening. Well, it nipped at everyone who weren't built for the cold like a few gray hairy yetis and pale Asian-American women wandering around in white kimonos that Jake could spot in the crowd.

The young man took the last bite of a spicy corn dog that boasted both grease and ketchup as a blanket and tossed the stick in a nearby trash can that was nearly filled to the brim. He strolled through the booths, sniffing appreciatively at the buttery scent of popcorn wafting through the air.

Off to his right, something caught his eye. Now, Jake wasn't much into jewelry, but he knew Rose would appreciate the delicate silver necklace on display alongside fine pearls and artificial ivory. And it was even to Jake's tastes too – a finely detailed dragon made with thin silver wires hung suspended on a silver band, a dragon inset with miniature rubies and neighbored by a few crystalline beads. The piece rested in a box with a cushion coated in fine red threads that looked almost as though they could be woven from phoenix feathers.

He stopped. The entire booth was filled with masterpieces – not just jewelry, but clothing, carpets and various little trinkets too. Each looked as though it should have cost a fortune. "Fifteen dollars for an expensive-looking necklace? What is all this?"

The vendor, a scrawny man with thick hair and glasses, stood in front of Jake. "This is an alchemist's craft. We specialize in duplicating precious materials artificially, which means we can drop the price. I work best with mimicking treasures that come from living creatures, like fur or ivory, but I can create any valuables you please."

Jake grinned at the necklace. "I like it. It looks like me."

He was roughly shoved to the damp asphalt a moment later. He glared up at the person whose rough hand had pressed into his shoulder – a man in a tank top with long spiky green hair. "Is this the best you can do?" the man asked the vendor.

Jake got back up to his feet, his shorts now slightly damp from the ground. "Yo, not cool!"

The troublemaker ignored him, instead examining the necklace Jake had been looking at. "Pathetic. I could get a better one from the walking star chart over there." He jabbed his finger toward a booth where Nigel was selling amulets, wearing a bright blue, star-covered robe and matching hat.

Jake's eyes narrowed. The troublemaker and the booths seemed to shrink in size as he changed into his much larger dragon form. He tapped the troublemaker with one of his blunt claws on his left hand. "I said not cool! Now, as someone in charge of the magical world and its safety, I'm going to have to tell you to leave."

The man's grin grew inhumanly wide before he barked out a laugh. "You think you can tell me to do anything? What does some little dragon boy have on the great Envy?"

The troublemaker, Envy, changed in front of Jake's eyes. His entire body circulated some sort of red electric energy. His arms grew longer and a tail grew out. His face became more feline and spots appeared all over his body. He'd turned himself into a big green cheetah and was pouncing at the larger dragon, fangs and teeth out.

Jake grabbed Envy's neck, but Envy apparently had more forms he could change into than just the one. He changed into a porcupine next, and his quills pierced into Jake's hand with more sting than getting a shot, despite his scales. "Ow, ow, hey!"

Jake yanked the quills out and threw them on the asphalt. "You're going to get it."

He whipped around, knocking some of the alchemist's trinkets over with his tail in the process with a series of clangs and scrapes, and came face to face with himself. Or it was mostly himself. "My head is not that small!"

Envy's now scaly head crackled red and grew until it reached Jake's size.

Jake was hating this jerk more by the moment. He rushed Envy and got thrown into the ground with enough force to leave a crater in the parking lot.

Envy laughed. His laughter was loud and barking. "This is what you guys let boss you around?" He was speaking to the vendor again, blowing Jake off completely as a conversation partner. "Why don't you scientists have more political power if he's this weak? It's the way the rest of the world runs."

Jake got out of the crater a little bruised, rubbing at his tail. "Hey, wannabe!" he called at the troublemaker, but, grinning, the troublemaker shifted one last time and flew off with two powerful bird wings.

Changing back into his human form, Jake approached the vendor, who was setting his gold, silver and pearl trinkets back up on display. Everything looked like it had survived being treated like a bowling pin by Jake's tail.

Still rubbing his tailbone, Jake said, "I'm sorry about that. Can I still buy that necklace for my lady?"

"Don't worry about it." The vendor's words came out dark and tense. "It happens all the time. Some people don't even consider alchemists a real part of the magical world."

Jake managed to keep his next comment to himself: alchemists weren't a real part of the magical world. All they could do was make fake gold and stuff and chase after the perfect medicine, right? But they made cool necklaces for Rose too, so he handed the vendor fifteen dollars. "Still doesn't excuse him for being a jerk. Can't wait to see this on my girl."

He'd just taken the necklace and its case from the vendor when his grandfather landed on the shining black cement that reflected all the street lamps and magical lights illuminating the lot that served as the festival grounds, with Fu in tow. "Young one! We've been asked to step in by fair security."

Before Jake could get words out of his mouth, Fu said, "You see, kid, there's a shape-shifter going around harassing all the alchemists. No one seems to be able to kick him out."

Jake could feel his neck tense up. Spending the rest of the chilly evening chasing Envy was not how he wanted to end his visit to the Autumn Festival. "Aw, man!"