Chapter 1: A Chance Meeting

Kanan cantered off from his herd. It had been about ten years since the change in power of the humans' government, stating now that anyone that was not human not only had to register themselves, but also live on the outskirts of town. It wasn't too bad at first, most creatures could still go into town to get supplies, but soon business stopped serving any being that wasn't human passing.

Kanan lived with his herd of fellow centaurs, being the noble creatures they naturally were, we didn't take to kindly to the new law, causing the government to kill several of us to force us into their submission, Kanan's birth parents had been part of the causalities when he was only a colt. An old family friend, a mare named Depa, had taken him in afterwards and looked after him since.

Life was as good as it could be with the given situation. The centaurs kept to themselves mostly, only going into small towns for desperate supplies, and even then only about 10% of the businesses would even let them into the store.

Kanan loved his herd, even if they were a little overbearing at times. Everyone, especially Depa, was expecting him to find a mate soon, a mare to be specific. He could very well pick a stallion, no one in the herd was against that way of life, but he just didn't swing that way. No his problem was the fact that none of the mares in his herd, or even a neighboring herd really peaked his interests. So sometimes he just had to wander away for a bit, to avoid pretty much everyone trying to set him up on a date with their niece, teacher, pretty much any available mare.

Kanan sighed at the situation of it all. He knelt down by the lake he had cantered off to and got a drink. After he had had his fill he splashed his face with the water. Once his eyes cleared from the water he was shocked to see another face staring up at him. He reared back in surprise.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." the other spoke.

"It's alright," Kanan reassured. He examined the other being. She was a mermaid, with her lower half being green, she wore an orange tank top and had long black hair and fair pale skin. She had partially pulled herself out of the water, so her arms held the top half of her torso up, while her tail flopped the water behind her somewhat. "I didn't know mermaids lived in this lake."

"We don't." she replied. "I just came out this way because my school was being a bit annoying."

"I can understand that." Kanan laughed, he lowered himself again to make the conversation easier. "My name is Kanan."

"I'm Hera," she introduced.

"That's a lovely name." Kanan complimented.

Hera gave a light laugh, "Thanks, yours is nice too."

"So you come here often?" Kanan asked, trying but failing to be smooth.

"Only recently," Hera answered. "My school, my family, have been pressuring me to find a mate. I just need to get away sometimes."

"Yeah, my herd has been doing the same." Kanan replied. "None of the mares really catch my interest though,"

"Yeah, none of the mermen are really interesting either." Hera admitted. "All of them seem to have the same personality, and all of them include me pretty much just staying home doing nothing, but I want to actually do something with my life."

"I can understand that." Kanan said. He sighed, "You seem like the kind of creature who wants to go off and make the world a better place."

"Exactly" Hera confirmed. She used her upper body strength to pull herself out of the water so she was now lying on her stomach on the shore, completely out of the water.

"I didn't know mermaids could leave the water." Kanan admitted, rubbing the back of his tan neck.

"Most of us choose to stay in, but yeah we can leave, as long as we don't get too dried out. We can breathe both in the air and underwater after all." she explained.

"Cool," was all that Kanan could say. The more and more he talked to Hera, the more he became enamored by her. Her beauty, her personality, and her voice, god her voice, it was perfect.

The two continued to talk, about anything and everything, a little bit more about their cultures, their pasts, and their hopes for the future.

"Sorry if this is awkward, but can I stroke your horse half?"Hera asked. "Your fur just looks so fine and soft."

"Go ahead." Kanan answered. It was a very rare thing to allow someone else stroke a centaurs hind quarters.

Hera slowly ran her hand across Kanan's brown fur covered side. "I was right," she smiled. "You're soft."

"Thanks," Kanan said, re-fixing his brown hair to be pulled back after some hair had fallen out of the tie. "It's getting pretty late. Depa is probably wondering where I am by now." Kanan admitted. "Will I see you again?"

"We can meet back here tomorrow." Hera answered. "Is that okay?"

"Perfect." Kanan replied. "See you then."

"Alright." Hera smiled, she hoped back into the water, playfully splashing Kanan with her tail as she did so.

Kanan laughed and got back up carefully stretching his legs bag out. It could be difficult for a centaur to get back up after sitting with their legs folded. He unwrinkled his green shirt and turned to look back in the lake.

Hera had already swam off, presumably back to her school, so Kanan turned and started to gallop back to his herd. He quickly found Depa and approached her.

"You were off for a while." she smiled.

"Yeah, sorry, didn't mean to worry you." Kanan apologized.

"You didn't worry me." Depa answered. "You can take care of yourself. But where were you?"

"Down by the lake." Kanan replied, he started to graze the grass for supper.

"Alone?" Depa asked.

"No, I sort of met someone." Kanan answered.

"Met as in a new friend, or met as a potential mate?" Depa asked.

"A new friend, but maybe it could turn into something more, hopefully." Kanan blushed.

"Oh you finally found a mare that caught your interest?" Depa smiled. "I'm so happy for you."

"Not a mare," Kanan corrected.

"A stallion then?" Depa asked. "Well that's fine by me. As long as you're happy."

"Not exactly a stallion either." Kanan muttered.

"I'm a bit confused, dear." Depa started.

"She's a mermaid, her name is Hera." Kanan admitted shyly. Now while most species of creatures didn't see homosexual love as taboo, like some humans do, nearly all species considered inter-creature love—that is two different creatures falling in love and having a romantic relationship—as one of the worse things possible.

"Oh," Depa replied. She didn't really know how to respond to that. "Does she make you happy?"

"The happiest I've been in a long time." Kanan answered.

"Then I'm happy for you and I approve." Depa smiled.

"You do?" Kanan asked in shock.

"I just want you to be happy." Depa explained. "As long as you're happy, I'm happy. Now I don't speak for the rest of the herd."

"I know." Kanan sighed.

"You may just have to leave," Depa said. "Find a nice place where you and your mermaid can live together."

"That is if anything comes of this." Kanan cut in.

"Of course," Depa smiled. She hugged him, "But you will come visit, won't you?"

"Of course." Kanan smiled back.

Depa sighed, "I can probably expect no grandfoals huh?'

"Hera and I could always adopt." Kanan laughed.

Depa smiled and laughed, "If she's anything like you with your kind heart, you'll probably adopt every stray you come across. I'll probably have a nymph for a grandchild."

"We'll see." Kanan laughed.

"Are you going to see her again?" Depa asked.

"Tomorrow," Kanan answered.

"Well then, you better get some rest." Depa smiled.

"Thanks for understanding." Kanan hugged her.

"Of course dear." Depa hugged him back. "I'll always do my best to understand you."

Note: don't try to tell me what the others (i.e. Sabine, Zeb and Ezra) should be cause I already have planned out what they are going to be.