Part Three

Leo bounded toward the cove a week later, excited. Luna had shown him the wonders of her world and now it was his turn to be the guide. He had dreamed of showing her around and told Dexter that he convinced her to visit.

"Great," he had said. "I look forward to really meeting her. Does she live far?"

"Not terribly far," Leo had said which was partially true. He had never really thought of it, but the ocean was quite large and those that swim in it could travel quite far.

A flash of colors caught his attention and he focused on them to see Luna enter the shallows. He rushed over, taking care to stay out of the water, took her hand, and helped pull her out. Like Leo, the moment her fins were clear, her tail became legs and she wore a version of Leo's clothes, just as Akiza had said.

"Wow, your clothes are like mine, only for a girl."

"Akiza said that would happen. She also warned me that any kind of water that touches me will change me back into a mermaid, but as long as we touch hands, I'll be human again."

"That's good to know." Leo took her other hand to pull her to her feet. He released her and watched her sway as she tried to stabilize. At last, she stood still and she looked at her legs and feet.

"I have a feeling that it's going to be hard using them."

"I guess so. I can't exactly pull you along like you did with me."

Luna laughed before holding out her hands. "Actually, you could support me while I learn."

Leo smiled as he took her hands and stepped back when Luna moved forward. Step by step, they left the cove, went past the beach, and to a bus stop at which Luna was comfortable on her feet. She sat on the bus stop bench and stared at her surroundings, wide-eyed. The city seemed to tower around her and she felt small and insignificant in this setting. She far preferred her home where she could swim to the top of the buildings. Here, she could not reach the top. "It's so big here," she said softly. "And so scary."

"Scary?" Leo repeated. "No way. This place is awesome. I got a lot of places to show you. Uh, hungry Luna?" A growl answered his question and Luna blushed. "Oh, good. I want to treat you to my favorite restaurant and Dexter will be there."

Luna perked up at this as the bus pulled up. She so wanted to meet the boy who led Leo to her. She wondered what he was like.

"Hey, Leo!" Dexter called as his friend entered the shop. He blinked at the nearly identically dressed girl beside him. Whoa, he wasn't kidding when he said how close I was in mistaking her for him. He smiled as they came over and sat. "Hi, Luna. I'm Dexter. Leo told me a little about you." He held out a hand.

She took it. "Hi. I've been wanting to meet you. After all, you helped bring Leo and me together."

"That's correct," he said. "I still can't believe how much you look alike, as if you were separated at birth."

"Almost, but not quite," Leo said before standing. "I'll go get our food, Luna." He walked away, figuring Luna may like what he did and interested in trying human food.

Luna sipped her soda as she followed Leo and Dexter down the sidewalk. Her lunch had been wonderful and once Leo had gotten the conversation really going, she found she liked Dexter quite a bit. She did speak of home, being careful not to use merpeople terms.

"So, this Akiza studies the past?" Dexter asked. "Is she a professor or archaeologist?"

Archae-what? Luna wondered, but Leo jumped in. "No, she's a college student who's studying to be an archaeologist, right Luna?"

"Uh, yeah. She sometimes told me myths and legends as bedtime stories when I was little," Luna answered, the latter part being true. The trio walked into a game shop and as Dexter wandered off to his favorite area, Luna whispered, "What's an archaeologist?"

"Oh, someone who studies ancient ruins or digs up fossils to understand the past. People go to college to learn to be teachers, doctors, whatever they want."

"Is it hard?"

"Hard work actually and expensive from what I hear. I don't have to think about that for several years."

"What are you going to learn?"

"Oh, I'm going to be a professional duelist."

"What's that?"

"A duelist is what one calls someone who plays this card game called Duel Monsters."

"People can earn a living playing a game?"

"Yeah. I play it at school with other people at a dueling school, but we do learning spelling, math, and other subjects too."

Luna felt like her head was going to spin. Human life seemed more complicated than her life under the sea. I'm lucky I was born a mermaid. I don't think I'd survive here.

Dexter noticed Luna and Leo talking a lot and he strained his ears to hear Leo talking about his future plans and thought it curious that Luna had never heard of Duel Monsters. What kid on Earth had never heard of the game? It's been around practically forever. Something's different about her and I'm going to find out what.

He kept an eye on Luna as they left the game shop and went to an electronics shop. He drifted off to one section before doubling back to spy on the twins. At first, neither one spoke, but then Luna picked up a camera, looked it over from several angles before saying, "What's this?"

Dexter couldn't believe his ears. Luna had seemed smart, polite, and friendly at lunch; now she came across as clueless. She acts like she's never seen a camera before.

"It's a camera," Leo answered softly. "It takes pictures of people, places, and anything a person wants to take a picture of."

"Why?"

"A picture is a remainder of a memory. Like if I took a picture of you, the image would keep my memory of you alive and I would never forget you or this day."

"Oh, wow."

Dexter shook his head as the two moved off. There was definitely something funny about her. Why was she asking questions about things like she never heard of them and why was Leo answering as if her questions were normal?

They left the electronics shop and Luna expressed interest in a pet store so they entered it. Dexter again drifted off and doubled back. The aqua-colored haired girl was by a fish tank, hands on the glass. He saw her lips move but faintly heard strange sounds come out of her mouth. The fish gathered before her and looked as if they were speaking to her. She continued to speak in that strange language with Leo staring flabbergasted at her. Luna eventually left the tank and Leo followed after her.

I knew she was different and she's strange, too. She can actually talk to fish! How did she learn to do that? I need to tail her and find out how and why she acts so weird since I feel she won't tell me the truth.

"Luna, were you speaking fish talk?" Leo asked in a whisper.

"Yes. All merpeople can talk to water creatures," Luna whispered back.

"Even sea stars?"

"Yup. Anything that lives in water, I can speak to."

"Would I be able to if I became a merman?"

"I don't know. We could find out before you go home."

"Let's find out now. I'd like to have a tail again."

Luna giggled. "Well, let's tell Dexter that I'm going home and that you'll see me onto the bus before going home yourself."

"Okay." Leo and Luna went in search of their friend to say goodbye.