Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Luca or any of the characters associated with it.

Hello everyone,

Thank you for being here to read this sweet little story. I have enjoyed writing it and am happy to share it with all of you.

Many thanks,

Olly BaaBaa-Chan

Chapter 1: Porto Rosso

A gentle midafternoon sun arched over the coastline like a great, warm embrace. Already the pull of summer was clenching its hot, humid grasp over the northwestern edge of Italy but, for the moment, a gracious seaside breeze offered some respite. Gulls gratefully stretched their wings in its breath, soaring high into the bright blue sky and looking below at the long, winding shape of dark metal scraping its way along the ridge of the coast. The Cinque Terra train line chugged along this pathway often, carving a path through the cliff faces, but this time, it was carrying very special cargo.

In one of the compartments of that train was young Luca Paguro. Caught somewhere in between boy and man, somewhere in between creature and human, Luca was very special cargo indeed. And on this very special journey back to Porto Rosso, he was bringing with him an important accomplishment.

"Luca, look! We're almost there!"

Luca lifted his gaze from the window, trading rapid flashes of tree lines and the glistening shimmer of the sea beyond to instead lock eyes with one of his dearest friends, Giulia. Her cascade of cherry red curls bounced brightly as she swung herself brusquely into the seat opposite him.

"Ah, I can't wait to show Papá my diploma! And when Papá learns I've been accepted to the Universita degli Studi di Napoli Frederico to study business he's going to be so excited! I'm going to help expand our fishing business beyond Porto Rosso—I mean obviously it's going to be my job to take it over one day, and I'm going to make sure it's the best fishing business in all of Italy! Maybe we'll even expand to Napoli! Or Genoa!"

Giulia's enthusiasm was usually infectious—she had a way of showing such passion and devotion for things she set her mind to that it was hard to not want to believe in her… But Luca was having a difficult time listening this time. He gave her a small smile, but deep down he didn't share the same sort of excitement his friend did. While Giulia had her whole plan laid out, Luca had other concerns. He was happy to have graduated from their scuola superiore, but his collegiate plans were going to be less simple than that.

"Attenzione passeggeri!" a gravelly voice scratched over the train intercom. "We are approaching Porto Rosso station. Please gather any personal belongings at this time and prepare to deboard."

"Santa Mozzerella!" Giulia leapt out of her seat with a squeal. "Andiamo, slowpoke! Let's go!"

They felt the disorienting pull of the train slowing against gravity, making them lurch forward as the heavy metal slowed. Outside the window, the worn grey stone of the Porto Rosso train station rolled into view. In the glow of the warm, seaside sun, Luca could already see a small welcoming committee waiting for them on the tiny station loading platform.

Before the train had even shuddered to a full stop, Giulia had already bounded of the of it into the outstretched arm of her enormous father, Massimo. He had aged significantly in the last five years since Luca had met him. His enormous mustache was still black and thick like a bramble, but his brows and head hair betrayed him with streaks of silver now framing his massive, kindly face. He enveloped his daughter in a bone crushing hug as she squealed, "Papá!"

Behind the enormous man, Luca's own family were waiting anxiously. His mother, Daniela, was barely concealing her tears behind a cream-colored handkerchief, while Luca's father Lorenzo was holding a poorly hand-crafted sign that read, "Complimenti Luca e Giulia!" Even his grandmother was there, hugging a shawl around her little shoulders even though the balmy weather was quite warm outside.

Luca felt a real smile finally crack free from his previous nerves. Every year the magic and allure of his schooling would draw his excitement and attention away from Porto Rosso, but as soon as he saw his family again, he would remember how much he had missed them.

"Mom!" he called, "Dad! Grandma!"

He waited until the train rolled to a gentle halt before running off to greet them. They wrapped him quickly in a cocoon of love. "Oh, my boy!" Daniella cried.

"Boy?" Lorenzo said gruffly. "What boy? I see a young man in front of me! Who are you and what have you done with our Luca?" he demanded playfully.

"Oh, stop it, Lorenzo. I can't! He'll always be a boy to me." Turning back to Luca, Daniela almost looked surprised that she now had to angle her gaze upward now that he had grown taller than her. Tears again welled up in her brown human eyes. She hugged her son tightly, squeezing nearly all the breath out of him. "Oh, my goodness we are so proud of you! I just can't believe you have already graduated! Just yesterday you were just my sweet little bubble, and now you're all grown up and off completing human school—I mean it's just unheard of for a Thalassino to do all that, but our little Luca has done it!"

Thalassino, adapted from the Greek talassofilo meaning "one who loves the sea", was the term that Luca's family and other members of their species had taken to calling themselves. Prior to their breach into the human world five years ago, they only addressed humans as "land monsters", while their counterparts called them "sea monsters". Now that their communities lived symbiotically in the seaside town of Porto Rosso, they had since adopted a kinder, more appropriate name for their aquatic characteristics. Human Italianos and marine Thalassinos now lived in harmony.

"Keep your scales on, Daniela," Luca's grandmother said dryly. "Let the boy breathe!"

Daniella released her son, but only because Massimo and Giulia had now made their way over to share salutations. As they exchanged pleasantries, congratulations, and compliments on how mature Giulia had grown to be, Luca gazed around disappointedly at their small welcoming committee. One very important member was noticeably missing.

"Where's Alberto?" Luca asked.

Massimo turned his great, shadowed gaze on Luca and clapped an enormous, meaty hand on his shoulder. "He apologizes that he cannot be here. He is completing an overnight fishing job for me." he said.

"Oh," Luca said hesitantly. "No problem." But it was a problem. Surely Alberto would've known they were coming back today, and Massimo was here to greet Giulia. Couldn't they have arranged to both take the day off? But Luca thought maybe he was just being selfish. Alberto was always there to greet him on his return to Porto Rosso. It had almost become a tradition of theirs, so Luca felt forgotten that his very best friend had not been waiting to welcome him home. Luca ran a hand through his mop of brown curls and tried to shake off the bad feeling. Surely Alberto wouldn't have missed Luca's return unless it was for something very important.

"Don't worry, Luca, we'll see him tomorrow." Giulia hefted her heavy satchel over her shoulder. She didn't seem to feel the same sort of disappointment that Luca did. Alberto was Giulia's brother, unofficially adopted by Massimo the winter following their original introduction into Porto Rosso. Giulia and Alberto's relationship as brother and sister had manifested organically over the years, and by now one would never know they were adopted siblings. The banter and tumultuous dynamic of their siblinghood looked as natural and real as any family's might. Sure, they loved each other endlessly, but they also despised each other sometimes. They each had an uncannily similar ability to be stubborn, and they often butted heads. Giulia was probably relieved she had her father all to herself for the evening, so she didn't seem to reciprocate Luca's disappointment.

"We are planning a big celebration dinner tomorrow night," Massimo grunted. "You may all join us at our cottage, and we can congratulate our graduates. I'm sure tonight you would like time to get things settled."

"Rightly so!" Lorenzo gruffed while wrapping his son in an awkward side hug. "Time to get some fresh sea water under those gills!"

The sea...

Luca's skin prickled at the very idea, and a fluttery, excited feeling started dancing in his stomach. He loved everything about the human world around him, and he loved going to school with Giulia and learning so many incredible things about the world beyond; but deep in his bones, he was and always would be Thalassino. He managed to get by taking long, cool baths in the clawfoot bathtub at Giulia's mother's place, but constantly having to hide his identity in Genova was very exhausting. With every rainstorm he had to duck out of sight, and on terribly hot days when his classmates wanted to take a ride down to the beach to cool off, he always had to refuse. There was just too much at stake. While Porto Rosso had graciously come to accept their kind, it was a well-kept secret in the small coastal town. The locals were very protective of their fishy allies, who in turn helped to promote Porto Rosso's economy with a booming fishing market and a number of other benefits. Crafts markets in their little town had begun to explode with several craftsman making beautiful pottery ware and textiles made from seashells and other resources gathered from the ocean by Thalassinos. And in return, the Thalassinos' secret was kept safe, their species hidden away from prying eyes that might seek to hunt them, trap them, or enslave them like circus animals. It was a very special, unique relationship they had built in Porto Rosso, but it had made Luca's particular arrangement in Genova very difficult over the last several years. It was not always easy living as a fish out of water.

But not anymore! Now that he was safely back in Porto Rosso, Luca was free to be his true self again. With a wide grin, he practically skipped out of his shoes. "Yes!" he said excitedly, all but forgetting about his disappointment over Alberto's absence or the ache of his bones from sitting through such a long train ride. "We'll see you for dinner tomorrow! Ciao Massimo, ciao Giulia!"

They waved good humoredly at him as he and his family took their leave. Luca wished he could sprint all the way to the water, but he withheld his anxious excitement in respect for his poor grandmother, who was moving much slower on her human legs these days. The short walk felt entirely too long, but finally they reached the harbor's edge. Luca was ready to jump out of his skin—quite literally.

"After you, son." Lorenzo said, while Daniela gave her boy a great big smile. "Welcome home, Luca!"

Not needing another invitation, Luca took a running leap and dived, clothes and all, into the deep, blue Mediterranean. The cold of it shocked his senses at first, and his vision was blinded by a cloud of bubbles—but not for long. Instantly the tiny hairs on his human skin began to widen, thin, and flip over into bright, vibrant green scales. He felt them rippling, inch by inch, over his whole body, until he was fully encased in his very own shiny, iridescent armor. He felt the bones of his feet lengthen and flatten uncomfortably, but in only seconds they had stretched into long, lovely flippers. The muscles of his phantom tail begin to take shape once more, stretching elegantly outward and flipping excitedly through the water as if it had a mind of its own. His floppy mess of brown curls transformed into a handsome crown of fine, purple blue fins, and he could taste on his tongue the points of his teeth sharpening as they were exposed to the sweet, salty water. He took a deep, grateful gulp and let the water wash through his aching gills. Ahh, it tasted so good. He heaved a watery sigh as his whole body relaxed in the gravity-less suspension the ocean water offered him, before three more splashes followed behind him.

"Oh, my handsome, handsome boy!" Daniela cooed, wrapping her son in yet another hug, but knowing that this one was somehow more special. They were able to now see each other in their true forms. Luca didn't even protest has his mother ran her hand over his fins and squeezed his face uncomfortably. "Oh, look how much you've grown! And look at your tailfins! They've grown so wide!"

Between smooshed cheeks, Luca grumbled bashfully, "Thanks, mom."

"It's good to have you back, Luca." His grandmother paddled by. "Let's head home!"

Thanks again for taking time to visit this story. I hope you will stick around. It's already complete, so just keep an eye open for chapter updates.

A review or follow would be much appreciated.

Ciao!

Olly