"Oh yes, that hat in cream is just lovely...and I love the added touch of that apricot colored feather."

"Yes, I think it's a very nice touch. Perhaps a little too springy for winter but it's nice for late fall."

"Exactly what I was thinking."

So the conversation went between the owner of a boutique and Jewelsie. She had left Tara soon after they had come upon the row of stores that surrounded the pet store. It wasn't that she was absent minded and forgot their noble mission--Amthyst was not allowed to be sad ever hence a new Pear must be found--but pet shopping was so boring. Besides, Tara was better at negotiations, wasn't she? Sure Tara's form of "negotiating" was really just threatening someone into doing what she wanted but that certainly was effective at times.

Assuring herself that Tara had the situation well in hand, Jewell was obviously losing her mind if she could convince herself of that, she wandered off into the boutique that had the most delicious hats in the window. They were just screaming, "Empress--Buy me!" and Jewell was never one to disappoint.

Placing the cream colored hat on her head and admiring herself in the mirror she gave a firm nod, "This is absolutely perfect for our next tea party! I'll take it."

"Wonderful, Miss...let me just right it up in my book." The shop lady moved behind the small counter and was picking up her pen to write down the purchase when Tara sounded off.

Jewell covered her ears and the shop lady--her name was Gertrude--watched in amazement as the loud scream cracked the glass of the small fishbowl sitting on the counter, leaking the water everywhere.

Duty called and Jewell became a flurry of motion. She tossed the hat from her head onto a mannequin and started for the door, "Oh..she's gonna kill me this time!" Her hand was on the door knob and she was pulling it open when something occurred to her.

The Empress rushed back to the counter and stuck her hand in Gertrude's quickly emptying fishbowl. Liberating the goldfish that inhabited it, she dashed out of the boutique and onto the street before Gertrude could protest the theft that had just occurred.

It didn't take long to spot Tara and Jewell took off running towards her, waving the newly acquired goldfish in her hand. She stopped short of her leader, panting and holding the goldfish up for inspection. A little look at the Killa revealed that she was not similarly armed with a fish, "Hey...what were you doing all this time? I thought you were supposed to get fish!"

Though, Jewell wouldn't be surprised if one was stuck up Tara's nose for safe keeping.

As Tara quit her arguing and jumped down into the sewer Jewell turned her attention to the main problem at hand--Gertrude and her shot gun. Although she was a lousy shot, she was almost upon her and probably wouldn't miss blowing the Empress's head off from a foot away.

Jewell did the only reasonable thing she could think to do in a time like this, she froze. No, she didn't freeze up and let herself get blown to itsy bitsy Empress bits. She froze Gertrude! She collected all the moisture from the air and froze Gertrude as she charged towards her, making her into a furious looking popsicle. Sure, poor Gertrude was just trying to get back her fish that her great Aunt Moe had given her for her birthday two years ago but that didn't mean she could go blowing people's heads off!

Nope, Jewellsie felt little remorse in freezing Gertrude, though she supposed she wouldn't be buying that lovely hat from her store anymore. She approached the popsicle and grinned, admiring her work. So wrapped up in admiring her work, Jewell forgot all about Tara's escape down into the sewer until reminded.

"JEWEEEEEELSIE! Somefin be down here wif her! Hurry up an' get rid of that woman an' come git me! I'm scared!"

"Oops!" As fast as she could, Jewell flew on over to the manhole opening and peered down into the darkness.

"Taaaarraa! Are you in there? Do I have to come down and get you...it smells bad..."