Two mermaid hatchlings, a dark brunette and an ebony, watched as a human boy sat playing with his weird shaped toys in the comfort of his back garden, well from what they could make out from within the canal that ran throughout the neighbourhood. "Why do you think they do that?" the more mischievous of the two, Nixie, asked her companion
"Maybe they think its fun?" Kaliana replied shrugging her shoulders at her friend; "Wonder what it's like to have legs instead of a tail." She mused to herself.
"Eww, why would anyone want legs instead?" Nixie complained, not noticing the look on her best friends face as she watched the land boy embrace his parents before going into the house with them. Seeing as there was nothing more to watch Kaliana dived back under the water lost in her thoughts whilst Nixie was left to follow behind her partner in crime. 'Why is it that land people have to parents? Why is the land so dangerous? I want to explore it,' Was on a constant loop in the young ebony's head.
Later that night whilst the Pod was asleep Kaliana snuck out of the moon pool keeping careful to avoid the mermaid patrol that guarded the island from land people on the full moon, she swam as fast as she could back to the canal, back to the little boy she wished to meet. Upon arriving at her destination the young mermaid began to question herself, knowing that the Pod does not approve of interaction of any kind, that she was breaking the most important rule they had, a rule that once broken was punishable by banishment, "Hey, are you okay do you need help?!" came the voice of the little boy she had been watching earlier that day, pulling her out of her thoughts and making her freeze in panic. "Are you lost? Did the current catch you?" he continued questioning all the while walking closer to her on the dock behind his home.
Still not knowing what to do Kaliana just stayed afloat watching as the boy slowly got closer with each step, just as she came to the decision that it would be best to dive down and return to the Pod, the boys arm shot out into the water and grabbed her hands, pulling on them until she too was a top the jetty. "Y..Y..You have a tail, you're a mermaid!" he exclaimed in shock as he looked at the girl he had 'saved'.
"Why did you do that? I have to get home I'm gonna be in soo much trouble, get me back in the water now!" Kaliana demanded as she tried to drag herself to the edge of the jetty, wincing as her scales caught on the planks beneath, only to suddenly not feel her scales, but rather the wood against skin, but that can't be possible the only way a mermaid can gain legs is with a moon ring, right? "Where'd you're tail go? Are you okay?" the boy asked in shock as he watched patches of skin form on her golden tail until it was replaced with legs…. And then realised that she was naked, rushed to put the blanket he had round his shoulders over her.
"What did you do to me? What did you do to my tail?" she hissed finally coming to the conclusion that the strange land boy who thought she a mermaid needed rescuing from water, had done something.
"I didn't do anything it just disappeared." He replied expatriated that she blamed him all he did was try to save her.
"Well I can't go home like this can I? You'll have to look after me until I can figure out how to get my tail back."
It seemed like the most logical explanation at the time, thought a 16 year old Kaliana as she swam next to Nixie and Sirena, judging their race of who was the fastest, raising their heads above the surf as the race came to an end.
"See. So much faster than you." Giggled Nixie, looking at Sirena
"Actually you're both as fast as each othe the only thing you did first was surface." Kaliana laughed as she splashed the brunette in this face with some water, causing the blonde to giggle with them before noticing her sister "Aquata."
"Sirena, what are you doing here? You should be on duty." The elder mermaid reminded them, but only looking at her sister.
"They were just going, Aquata. I think I may help as well to you know help keep Nixie out of trouble." Kaliana smiled at the 3 elder mermaids, ignoring the indignant hey that she received from her best friend.
"Why can't we celebrate like everyone else?" the brunette whined upon realising her friend wasn't going to say anymore,
"You'll get your chance when you've earned it. When you've got your moon rings. Someone needs to protect the island during the ceremony. Go on." Aquata nudged making sure to give a warning to Kaliana through her eyes to be careful on how she patrols with the group.