You know how people have theories on how mermaids grow and stuff; well I have the same theories on Dragons. I think that they hit *puberty* around 200 (if they grew to be that old), so it would make sense why Dragon was so much smaller than he is now.

Thank you to all of my faithful reviewers. Keep it up!

This is basically a filler chapter. I needed to update and resolve a little tiff, and this is the product of that.

"Oh, Dragon. I am so sorry. Why did not you tell me sooner?" Jane asked sympathetically.

"I saw no reason to, it is all in the past."

"Did you ever find out what happened to her?"

Dragon heaved a huge sigh. "No. I wish I did. But obviously, she's dead now. That was nearly 160 years ago."

"Can I tell Jester this?"

"No!"

Jane was confused. "Why not? It would help him understand why you were so very rude to him. Which by the way you ARE going to apologize for."

"Because he does not need to know my past. All he needs to know is that I dislike gypsies."

"But, Dragon- Aurore was a gypsy."

He shook his head fervently. "No, she was different. She was my friend. She got stuck in a bad life, one that she did not deserve."

"Dragon." She sighed and patted his neck before standing. "You are going to go tell Jester you are sorry and you are also going to tell him why. That is final." She plodded off to her room.

"You sound an awful lot like your mother. You cannot make me," he muttered.

"And you do not sound like you are getting up to apologize!" she called over her shoulder.

He rolled his eyes, but stood anyway. That is only one of the things he loves about Jane. She is just as stubborn as he is.

He lumbered over to Jesters door and tapped on it with his claw.

"What?" Jester shouted angrily.

"Did you lose your hat jingler?"

Jester could not chuckle on the inside, but tried to keep his demeanor. "Off with you Dragon. I do not want to hear any more of your insults."

"Am I insulting right now?"

Jester groaned. "No." Dragon could tell that Jester was not in the mood for jesting.

"I am sor-"

"You are what?" Jester opened his shutters and leaned against the frame of his window, smugly, knowing what was coming.

"You know, sorry."

"What have you got against them? I was raised by gypsies for seven years of my life and I turned out alright."

"My reasons are my own. And you are one of the exceptions. I have only known three exceptions."

"Why did not you tell me that you knew some? Yes, I know there are horrible gypsies out there, the ones that give my background a bad name, but I took it as a hit against my family. I am sorry for my assumptions."

"Thank you."

"What did they do to you?"

Dragon did not want to disappoint Jane. He told Jester everything.

"Good grief Dragon. You should have told me earlier, especially since it is past midnight." Jester and Dragon both laughed, probably out of exhaustion, because it was not even that funny.

"When are they coming?"

"Tomorrow. Well, now, later today. That should give you enough time to run away Dragon."

"Ha! You think I run away from teeny short lives? I am a Dragon!"

"No, really Dragon? I thought you were a moth." Jester joked sarcastically.

"I like you Bell-boy. You are definitely an exception."

Jester did a little bow. "I take that as a compliment."

Dragon lifted off the ground and flew off to his cave.

At breakfast in the kitchen the next morning, Jane picked at her porridge. Every once in a while between yawns, she would try to shovel a bite in her mouth. This time she could not hold her head up any longer. Her face fell directly into the mushy globs.

"Jane? JANE!" Smithy yelled, grabbing her head out of the breakfast ration. Jane's eyes flew wide open and porridge dripped from her face and hair. She coughed and desperately tried to wipe it off.

Smithy, Jester and Rake burst into fits of uncontrolled laughter. Pepper peeked over her shoulder, looking away from her boiling masterpiece. She saw Jane's face and immediately grabbed a clean towel. She rushed over to her friend's side and helped her wipe her face clean. The boys were nearly falling out of their chairs from laughing so hard.

"Shame on all of you!" They immediately stopped.

"What?" Jester asked, still half laughing.

"You could have tried to help." She pointed out obviously.

"But I did! I pulled her head out of her porridge." Smithy said as he tried to keep in a giggle.

"It is alright Pepper. I would have laughed as well. I am just exhausted. Dragon and I had a late night last night."

Pepper raised an eyebrow at her with a coy smile. Rake made a coughing noise.

Jane put two and two together. "Not like that! He and I just talked."

"We did as well." Jester said cheerily.

"You sound in high spirits this morning Jester." Smithy pointed out.

"I am. A certain green lizard paid me with an apology. Thank you Jane."

"What did I do?"

"Oh come on. You honestly think that Dragon would have apologized on his own?"

"Well, yes. He does not have that huge of an ego."

"But you were the main reason and admit it, he would not have apologized if it were not for you."

"If he apologized to you last night, then why are not you falling into your breakfast?"

"I, unlike you, do not have a big lizard keeping me up late all the time, so when I miss some sleep it does not bother me as much."

"Ha. Ha." The conversation was interrupted by a trumpet fanfare.

Jester and Jane leaped out of their seats. "The gypsies are here!"

Ok! Now, we get into the big story. Review and it may help me to update faster… ^.^