Prologue

"I'm coming!" Kanan yelled out, placing a bookmark in her novel. She went to open the door to encounter a red-faced Riko Sakurauchi: her face, hair, and clothes covered in sweat.

"Why didn't you tell me that the buses stopped departing at 10:00?"

Kanan looked up at her red-haired friend, who was now breathing heavily, hands on knees, starting at the wooden floor.

"When you said you had wanted to talk, I was expecting a phone call," The calm-natured diver rolled her eyes. She opened the door wider and motioned for Riko to enter. "Besides, I wasn't under the impression you would need to be at my house at 1 in the morning."

Riko then proceeded to let out a large groan to which Kanan responded by shushing. Her fellow dorm-residents were asleep, she exclaimed, and the RA might report her if she found out she was having a guest over at such late hours.

"Yes. Of course. Be quiet. That's why I didn't call you over the phone," Riko huffed, her breathing pattern slowly becoming more normalized. Kanan raised an eyebrow and closed the door.

"Don't give me that look. The government can hear anything through these phones. That's a fact, Kanan."

Kanan, however, shrugged and headed back towards her bed.

"What's so top-secret anyways?" She asked, lying down against her dolphin-shaped pillow.

Riko immediately stood up straighter, her eyes lit with delight.

"Remember those two strange figures we saw? I... I think I know what they are."

Kanan stared blankly ahead, the vivid memory of the two unusually long tails flashing back into her memory. Grey and purple side by side moving in synchronized motion. She was in school to study marine biology, but never once had she encountered a diagram with such figures present.

"Have a seat, Riko, you're looking really anxious," Kanan motioned, pointing to the chair at her desk. Riko shook her head.

"I'm fine! Really. More than fine. In fact... fantastic!"
"Riko..."
"Nothing STRANGE about this new town or anything, nope! It's not like my whole interpretation of Uchiura has been utterly distorted!"
"Riko please-"
"You know, Kanan? It's a funny thing. When you're a child they tell you about so many things you can't believe in. Is that a conspiracy? What's really being hidden from us, huh? What is the truth?"

"Riko, breathe," Kanan said sternly, cutting the rambling high-schooler off.
"You're rambling, not to mention stalling. Just cut to the chase. I promise I'm willing to hear whatever you have to say."

Riko rubbed her hands together.

"You're gonna think I'm crazy, Kanan."
"No, I won't."

"Okay," the nervous girl exhaled. She closed her eyes taking a few deep breaths and then opened them. She turned to her blue-haired friend, staring directly into the purple eyes awaiting an answer.

"They aren't fish. You and I both know no fish or sea mammal could possibly have tails so long and sparkly." Riko stated matter of factly. Kanan remained her gaze, confused and waiting eagerly for the following words.

"They're mermaids, Kanan."