Alden watched Diana move about the room carefully, concentrating. He could almost see the gears in her head, under her double-toned blue and green hair, turning quickly. It was a nice feeling to give someone a purpose. To see the light in their eyes switch on as they realized their abilities were far from useless and, in fact, could usher in a new era. Alden himself had an idea of how to create a self-sustaining light without making the water uncomfortably warm to live in, but perhaps she had a better idea...

When she looked at him, Alden smiled. He could see Diana wasn’t as she used to be. She was the same, but much different. Outgoing. Excited. Perhaps he had something to do with it. Had neither of them decided to call that young, uninhabited island home, he could never have helped her out of her shell. She could never have helped him see how useful he really was.

He went around and picked up a smaller brick. “I’ve had an idea of how to make lights. Without making the water terribly warm or overusing the stones that are stored beneath the palace.” He glanced at her. “For now I’ve got no time. But if you’d like some help, Guai is much more than a healer and doctor. He can be your assistant if you need one---”

Someone entered the room, and after a moment Alden realized it was a guard. “Sir, it’s rotation time.” He said.

Alden nodded. “Thank you. Go and call off your fraction, I’ll gather the others and begin the rotation.” He looked to Diana, giving her a nod as he set down the warm stone, and took off, making sure to grab the bag he’d put near the door on their way in.

She watched him leave. Turning, she looked at the small brick he had been holding. What had his idea been? He was so focused on helping the merfolk not miss the sun. It was thoughtful of him. However, surely they could think broader than that. Sighing, went and picked up another brick before turning and swimming down to the workrooms. Finding an empty one, she set the two pieces down. Then she went to the supplies room to get tools and materials. Where to start? Carefully setting everything down in an organized manner, she looked over everything trying to slow down her brain enough to be of some use to her.

Heat was energy. She now had an energy source. The powder was something that reacted to the energy. She put the powder into a mixture with every single material that had been pulled out. She recorded their reactions to the heat source when the glow was bright, dimming, and gone. Nothing fantastic happened. Just odd things like bubbles, water temporarily turning a funny purple color, and eruptions. Her favorite one was when her glowing pendant touched one of the concoctions on accident. The concoction seemed to levitate for a moment before settling back down. After that, she added her pendant to the experiments. Perhaps some sort of elevator system could be created for lifting the heavier things?

Alden followed the guard as he led the way up and into the main arteries of the palace. The guard broke off to collect the first patrol as Alden started down the guards’ quarters. The doors on the left of each hallway were closed, and as he passed, he knocked several times and called to them, yelling the same order: “Everyone up! It’s rotation time!” As he passed by others, the doors had already opened having heard his approach. Four guards took to one room, each a comfortable size for them all. They headed at once to the dining hall to get an on the go breakfast before taking to their positions, as the guardsmen coming back settled down for their version of a late dinner before coming up to sleep.

As the entire new group began heading out, Alden paused at the beginning of an ongoing hallway. Setting the bag in his hand down, he leaned against the wall and slid down, curling his tail around him. It had been a while since he slept last, or at least got a good amount of sleep at all. Still, there was so much more to do. There was the worry of the humans getting so close to their home. The continual wellbeing of his guards as they took to constant watches. The consideration of dark shades to place over the glowing stones that gave the city its new light source. Come evening, it would be necessary to darken the streets. He would have to bring a set of artisans to the palace and instruct them on what was necessary.

And this was only the beginning of his reign. Alden yawned, crossing his arms over his chest and putting his head back, eyes closed to the world.

She liked the levitating idea. She wanted to create a way to control with direction it went, whatever it was that would move around on it's own like that. She sat down to doing just that. This was so easy. Almost as easy as working with golden strands. Why was it that others found such things different? She shook her head and kept working. Soon she had created a device that held a heating power source that she could control which way it went by using the the combination that had made bubbles. Yet it wasn't something she could use yet for anything beyond her amusement. She saw a fish swimming nearby and was inspired.

Swimming into a nearby workroom that worked with metal, she quickly constructed an outer frame that resembled a fish, but slightly different. Large enough to hang onto with a place to maneuver her fins inside of. Dragging it back to the first workroom, she placed her device carefully inside and made sure that metal clamps fused it together. Then she placed a handle for one hand to hold onto it and another small knob that fit the palm of your hand for working the device below that. Nervously, she reached over and pulled herself in. The way to make it turn on would be her pendant, her chest lay close enough to the device to keep her pendant glowing. Pushing the pendant into the slot she had left for it, she held onto the handle with one hand and used the knob to go forward.

She moved! A few feet slowly. This was so slow and she could only go forward, backward, left and right. But what about up and down? Sighing, she pulled herself out and looked it over. The handle would have to go. Another knob was needed to control the device in the other two possible directions. Which mean added work to the device inside. She would also need to create a strap that would go over her back while she was laying down on the machine. If it went too fast and she fell backwards, then her tail which was inside the machine could stand the chance of being broken. She went back to work.

When he woke, Alden had no idea how much time had passed. No doubt the previous hundred guards had gone to their quarters, because the doors were closed. However long he had been laid out in a corner of the guardsmen quarters, it had done a very good job. He was more than wide awake, and he grabbed his bag before taking off and back down below the palace. No one was coming or going from the main storage room, which noted that the volunteers had finished placing the glowing stones around the city. He sighed at having to go back out into the city. He would definitely have to reimburse the volunteers for their hard work.

Moving out of the palace once more, he traveled the streets. They were beautifully lit. A moon-like sunlight seemed to radiate softly and without being too bright. Looking up, it seemed the dome was mostly covered, but from one of the few small holes, he could see a few final rays of morning sunlight struggling to get through. He arrived in the artisan district and from several various shops, gathered glassworkers and a few metalworkers. Working with glass underwater was more difficult than with metals, but it was more than possible. Gathering the required skills in one of the small squares, he moved in front of them.

“I request your talents at the palace.” He said. “It may take a number of days, but you can remain in the palace to live while you work, if you agree to this: We require shades for the streetlights that now replace the sunlight. Glass coverings welded with silver so during the night, they can still release a small amount of light for late-night wanderings. Will you all take on this challenge? There’s a large enough forge in one of the main workrooms, and you’ll all receive a room.”

Murmurs of approval reigned through the group of fifteen. Alden nodded quickly and egged them forward, following along as they went to the palace.

She was pretty tired. She really wanted to try this device out though. Still, if it worked as it should, then she could get hurt if she wasn't more awake. Time to head to bed perhaps? She was floating there not really moving when voices out in the corridor caught her attention. She guessed one of the workrooms was about to become a busy place. She turned and silently patted her machine. It would have to wait. Swimming towards the door, she promised first thing in the morning she would test it. After she ate breakfast.

As Alden took the lead to show the new group where they would be working, passing several other workrooms, one of the doors opened and Diana came out. “There you are.” Alden paused. “If you’re ever looking for something to do in the near future, your assistance would be appreciated in the making of lamp shades for the city’s streets.” He turned, unable to wait a moment longer, and went on, the group of fifteen or so moving with him like a school. He arrived at a door down a hall not used much, and opened it. Instead of one or two, four large forges reigned in this room. A system of venting systems kept the general temperature from becoming uncomfortable, and several doors to the left and right led to material storage rooms.

“I fear I can’t be of much help here.” Alden said to the group. “Simple glass casings about fifteen centimeters in diameter and twenty in height should do it. I’ll stay around for the first creation, and if it’s acceptable, you can continue along those parameters.”

The merfolk nodded in approval and began their work, heading into various material rooms and muttering amongst one another. He stayed out of the way, curled by the exit door.

She simply nodded and kept going. Though seeing Alden did make her heart beat faster, giving her that extra adrenaline boost. Still she knew better than to think she had extra energy. It would be gone in a minute or two. Reaching her room, she quickly made a note to look into lamp shades. Then swam into bed and curled up, closing her eyes on the cosmos scene she had left unfinished earlier. Falling into a deep sleep, she drifted off and finally got that which she had been lacking for awhile now.

Night passed with the world outside her room oblivious to her and her to it. When she awake in the early morning hours, she stretched hungry and eager to face another day. She looked over the glowing powder she had been pasting on. She could be finished in just a few minutes easily. Getting the supplies together, she quickly did just that. Then cleaned up every thing and carried the extra materials and the tools with her to the diningroom. She set them down on the floor near the wall and went to a table. Curling up there, she ordered some breakfast and began thinking of lamps and fighting the desire to tinker with her machine some more.

They worked quickly. A few neon-tailed mermaids worked glass presses while a couple male counterparts heated and stretched dark glass, tinted a deep green. Eight plates were made in total, and silver was melted down and, through careful application, placed with the plates edge-to-edge to seal them together. A molded silver hanger loop was added to the domed glass top and finished. When a red-tailed mermaid approached with the finished item, Alden looked it over, holding it carefully to avoid unnecessary destruction. He gave a nod, which lit up the eyes of everyone present. “Just make sure to coat it in a stabilizer.” He noted. “We don’t need scratches or shattering. Come find me when you’ve become tired, I’ll be around the palace, so I’ll be able to assign you a room.”

They nodded and continued their work as Alden left. Suddenly rather hungry, he made a mental note to search for Guai or Loretti later, and headed for the dining room. Entering, he found few there, but saw Diana near a corner. Moving swiftly over, he approached and gave a smile. “I was beginning to wonder where you were.” He said, taking a place across from her. A chef from the kitchen had come out, and at Alden’s presence approached and asked what he would like. Alden placed a quick order and as the chef took off again, he glanced to Diana. “How’s your work going?” He asked. “Anything in particular bothering you?”

Her eyes were lit up from rest and being in Alden's company. She grinned, "Nothing is really bothering per say. Just an idea is all." She was so tempted to just tell him what she had been working on. Instead she decided to peak his interest. It was fun having a secret and the moments before telling it were always filled with anticipation. "Alden, at our first meeting it was established that you are definitely stronger than me. But I am curious, who is faster? I know I am quicker than some. Wouldn't it be fun to have a race? To see who could get from point A to point B before the other? With simple rules of course, like not being the cause of holding the other back - with guards or something." With that she winked. Besides, what an wonderful opportunity to showcase her machine. Inside the palace corridors was no place to test the speed. Someone could get hurt.

Alden raised a brow at the proposition of a race. He glanced at his tail, and tailfin. His tail was definitely much larger, and longer than most others, though now that his father was gone, it was definitely the strongest. He knew Diana was quick, though. But perhaps it could do well to get his mind off the worry he felt for the city. It wouldn't be in danger when the florists and crafters finished patching the holes in the coral cage. He studied her. What was the danger? As long as they stayed in the city. Perhaps it would startle the city-dwellers to see their new king, who should be keeping vigilant, swimming about without much care, but it was something he did need.

He nodded. "I don't see the bother in it." He said. "How about the area behind the palace? It's large, once used to train guards while my father was still prince. It's very large, and no one's ever used it." Perhaps it would keep the townsfolk off the edge of their seats. Alden needed their confidence in him now if ever.

She looked at him in smug triumph. "Thank you for accepting my wish. But how about from the main gate to the center of the dome and back. To show we reached the dome, we hand off a medallion to a guard who will wait for us there. It is a very long distance. Are you, in your old age, able to handle that like little younger me?" She raised an eyebrow at the last part of that. She hadn't acted so openly with another since before she started attending school. What was it about Alden that opened her up so easily? She pushed that aside. This was priceless.

Alden's jaw dropped open, but only slightly from shock. He couldn't help a smile that accompanied the expression. "I'm not that old!" He defended. But paused for a moment. Am I? He'd actually watched islands come up from the ocean; he was older than some that were within easy swimming distance of Aquaris. He lifted one of the armbands from his wrist. "I suppose we could go that distance." He said. "Use this. I only have two guards at the main gates. They might be a bit put off at the idea of a race." He thought about it. They were older. Much older than he was. They could still recall when the water within eyesight was free of any type of landmass.

"I'll accept your little race." He said at last. He definitely wasn't old. In fact, he was still young! At least, he most certainly felt that way.

She took the arm band and looked at it, then back up at him. "I missed it, what do I do with this again?" She needed to go get her machine. She needed to name it. It was all silver with a blue tinge. Perhaps naming it something along those lines would work. She didn't have much time to come up with a name though. "Maybe we should get a doctor, just in case this race is too much for you." She was enjoying herself with this. Possibly pushing it a bit far, but still, it was kinda worth it. Except that if something did happen to him, there was no heir. That made her smile falter. She looked up at him with concern. Why the heck was he not married? "Losing to me won't hurt your ego will it?" More likely, would he take her obvious win in good stride? A race that should take perhaps 15 minutes was going to take a lot less.

Alden leaned forward. "I think you'll be needing a doctor after you run into a wall while you're gloating." He noted, then indicated the loop. "Give it to the guard in place of a medallion. It's easier to take." He studied her a moment, spying the strange halting look of the smile she'd had since requesting the race. What a strange question.

"Never." He said sternly. "I accept my own limitations as what they are, even if I do try to improve them every chance I get. If you win, it's a fair win." He nodded once, as though sealing that as fact. But what was her intention? He'd outswam her once before, the very day they'd met when she was trying to escape an accusation. That wasn't a friendly race; if anything, both of them were rather desperate in that situation. Still, it wasn't something to worry about too much.

She shrugged and nodded. "I know we both have things to finish. See you at the gate at noon." She gave him a friendly smile, "Thanks for indulging me. And thanks for the diversion." She turned and headed out of the diningroom, grabbing her order that had come on a tray from the serving merman as she left. Yep, time to go get her machine ready. It needed more than last minute adjustments. It needed a name. She must come up with one. She was out in the hall and heading down to the workrooms. This was her chance. To debut. Her first official, well, sorta official debut and it was exciting. Debut for an item. Being introduced at his coronation had been a debut too.

Alden nodded as she left. Quickly eating his breakfast, he took off to the workshops to check on the newest volunteers. Though they were still busy, they had created quite a few shades. They lined the shelves along the walls, which looked to be crowding quite a bit now. Moving through the palace once again, he left and flew upward. A few mermaids were finishing up their work, having only just come back from rest. Watching from a distance, he waited until the very last hole was patched and checked. When the workers saw him, they lined up and bowed. "Dears, we're working on shades for the streetlights during the night. Would you be willing to begin distributing them to their hooks to avoid overcrowding in the workroom?"

They agreed readily, and Alden led them back to the palace. Once again through the workroom corridors, Alden let them know how to move, steadily to avoid randomizing and forgetting to place a shade here or there.

With the adjustments made, she had two palace guards heft the cloth-covered load to the front gate. She was rather proud of it. But she still didn't have a name for it as a machine nor as a nickname. Puddlejumper came to mind, but she discarded that with a laugh. The ocean was no puddle. And it wouldn't jump, it would soar. AquaFly. That might make a nice name. Perhaps Or SeaSoarer. She looked towards the large clock at the time. Almost noon. Though it didn't look like noon. There was no sunlight filtering down. Also, there was glowing stones that Alden had pulled out, some with a sort of shade on them. Oops, Alden had asked her to look into shades. She had forgotten about that. Sighing, she took her machine and settled it out of sight. That way Alden wouldn't see it when he arrived. She loosened the cords holding the material around it so that she could get into it easier. Then she swam out and over to the main gain. Looking up at the dome of the city, she wondered exactly how far away it was. Maybe two miles? One thing was for sure, this was an impressive city and no human was going to invade here. They were too darn proud to let that happen.

Alden watched carefully as the new volunteers began placing lamp shades. They still had many to go, but with the speed they were working, it wouldn't take long to place a shade atop every hook in the city. Though come nightfall, the cityfolk would have to work together to place a shade over every cup, since it was impossible to rig a pulley system that massive for all of them. With that taken care of, Alden went out of the city itself and up to where a platform was stationed. It looked more like a stone protruding from a massive rock covered with various corals, anemones, and seaweed. There, however, a guard sat with a spyglass. Alden took it from him and studied where he had seen the humans and their boats. They were very close, but still would not be able to see the city from where they were. It was an enormous worry on Alden, but he forced it to the back of his mind as noontime moved closer. Thanking the guard, he went back to the city to find Diana.

Diana swam back and forth, looking for Alden. The clock was clearly straight noon. She double checked towards the building that she had left her machine hidden behind. No sign of it. Alden would not see it. She grinned and then frowned. But darn couldn't he get here already? She was completely restless with anticipation. Seeing movement, she turned and saw a few palace workers gathering nearby. They had probably heard about the race and were eager for a break in their work. She was eager for showing them and Alden what she had. Sure it could use a sleeker design but still, it was good enough for now. She could probably keep up with a human's machine with hers. Not that she had any reason to chase a human machine, but it was nice having that ability. Seeing Alden finally coming, she felt excited and waved excitedly. "Yo old man, get over here will ya." As he got closer, she added, "I've decided to be nice. Instead of giving you a heart attack at being passed so early in the race, I've decided to give you a head start."

I'm not old...!

In reality Alden was much younger than a good number of palace guards. And Guai. He furrowed his brow as he approached, and was about to decline a head start. Still, it was a friendly offer, and he generally wasn't one to decline something rather harmless. Pausing where she was, at where they would start the race, he stared at her. "I suppose... A head start wouldn't be bad."

Without a moment to spare he took off, streamlining his body, flying through the water. It had been quite a long time since he'd gone so quickly, it felt good to do so again. But as he moved onward, intuition tickled the back of his mind and almost threw him off. Something was about to happen. Perhaps immediately... Maybe within the next hour. In fact, it was most definitely the next hour, or within that. Something...

He shook it away. What would come would come, and he would be more than ready from his swim. Especially if it involved a lot of quick maneuvers.

She grinned as he took off. Turning she swam behind a building and pulled the covering off her machine. Slipping inside and snapping the strap on, leaned down on it, pushed her pendant into it's slot, and felt her machine come to life beneath her. It was just a slight vibration, but it was enough. Using the little knobs on top, she pulled up and sideways at an angle. Then she flew foreward after Alden. The water was tugging at her, trying to pull her off. The strap kept her in place. She saw Alden ahead. Slowing down just a bit, she pulled up beside the fast swimming merman. "Hey old man, even with a head start...?" with that she zipped past and flew ahead. The glowing lights that had been placed up there began to grow closer. She soon reached the dome and left the trinket Alden had given her earlier with the guard that was there. She was still floating up as she turned her craft. Slowly to a stop, she looked back. Alden was barely halfway here. He looked so small from here. Smiling from excitement, she wondered how she compared with the human machines. Was she as fast as they could be? Could she beat them in a race? She wouldn't try to find out without a good reason. It was invigorating though. She waited for Alden to get closer. The race wasn't really a race anymore. It was clear she could get back more quickly than him.

Alden's eyes widened as a large contraption passed him, quickly, almost as quickly as the general merfolk's explosive run, which definitely tired one out after only a few minutes of swimming. He almost paused halfway through the first lap, which would be his last, but put his weight behind a massive flap of the tail, finishing his run in only a few strokes of the tail fin. As with even the most athletic of merfolk, he was rather out of breath, but shook it off. "So, that's what you've been working on." He laughed, patting the item. It was smooth and well put together. "I like it! You're a regular inventor, dear, aren't you?" Moving around the side of it, he leaned on it. The thing, more like a vehicle, didn't really seem finished. Perhaps a prototype. "That's just what we need here. If we---you, that is, can finish this up, make it less simplistic while not weighing it down... It might save a lot of time in travel!"

He shook the rest of his thoughts away. "Anyway, Diana, you won the race. Not fair, mind, but you did win. Do you want some prize for beating me, then?" He crossed his arms. He had things to spare. More than enough. But he didn't think Diana would accept anything. Especially after she created some self-propelling vehicle that didn't seem to need a source of fuel. Really, it was almost the only thing he was focused on, not the fact he'd lost a race. Which wasn't his top priority, anyway.

She couldn't help it. She was beaming with pride. Alden liked her invention. Simple as that. However not so simple. Her patron liked her hard work. Alden was quickly becoming the center of her world. Not just as her king, but as a friend. Therefore his approval mattered all the more to her. Diana shrugged, "A prize? You couldn't offer me what I want." She grinned at that. Another joke that she had. Friendship and trust were earned. Not offered. She already had what she wanted and he wasn't judging her for it. "This machine is just a fun idea. Originally I was thinking of how we might have a sort of levy system created to move heavier things up and down. This just seemed more amusing to me. And the race was completely fair. You never said I couldn't use anything. I didn't forbid you from using anything either." She slowly sat up and pulled her pendant out of the device. They floated there as she took it from her neck and handed it to him. "This is the key to making the device run. It was a matter of having the right materials in the right places."

True, Alden hadn't said not to use anything to help win... "I didn't say you could, either." He noted, but left it at that. It wasn't worth pursuing, especially at the risk of sounding like a sore loser, which he most certainly wasn't. However, he did take the pendant to investigate, turning it over in his hands. "This could come in handy." He said. "Both ideas of yours. In fact, if we gather together some master builders and designers, we can perfect your design, completely under your control, mind, If it's perfected, then, with a few engraved designs, perhaps, to make it more hydrodynamic, perhaps we can build a large number of them, save on trips to far villages and cities, or even employ them for use here. And with the use of these pendants, we won't have to search for an alternate energy source. If built right, they'd be easily used to lift heavy loads to the higher balconies of buildings without the use of simple pulley and levers."

He gave the pendant back to Diana and leaned forward, staring her in the eye. "You realize you may have begun a revolution, a new step in the modern direction of living. We'd be well considered a race, rather than a fable or myth, right there alongside humans, just as resilient and able as them and not a prehistoric existence. You've possibly made life much easier for long-distance traders, even. I hope you feel good about that." He grinned widely, and straightened up. "Your family should be most proud. Might we let them know what an amazing inventor you are? We can show off your prototype as well, if you think it's a good time." He extended a hand, an invitation, rather than a requirement. The guards were quiet and they had more than enough time. It was best to at least partially forget about the looming humans, especially since they were well hidden.