I'm Harriet, and you are going to hear my amazing, terrifying, wonderful, different, magical life. My life wasn't always described in these words. The year I turned eighteen my parents drown in a flash flood; leaving me to finish raising my sixteen year old brother, Sam. Times weren't easy, I'll admit. My friends went to college I found a job and a small apartment so my brother and I could survive, but we made do. My life then was boring, hard, sometimes sad, but normal enough. Without further ado here my tale starts...

"Sam hurry up you're going to be late for school!" I yelled shoving a poptart in my mouth, while balancing on one foot to put a shoe on.

"Harriet, I have been ready for fifteen minutes. You are the slow one. Get it together you need to go to work." He scolded me, pushing up his glasses. I finished putting on my shoes, and grabbed my bag. this kid sounds so entitled who does he think he is? "I have toiled away for years giving you my everything." I started speaking dramatically with the back of my hand to my forehead. "I gave you my money, my youth, my love." I continued. I gave a little smirk. Sam didn't seem amused. "Seriously?" he started "Mom and dad died a year and a half ago, you are barely an adult, and you have never had money we are broke." He spoke with a dead serious tone with no facial expression. "Sarcasm is lost on you brother." I said while opening the door. We walked to the bus stop, then sat next to each other in silence. "Ooh I know we can do something different." I perked up trying to take away that dull expression of his face.

"Oh dear sister. Don't bother trying to play games, or sing, or talk to strangers. We have the same routine every day. Mrs. Tabbeth gets on..." He held up his fingers counting down from three. The old woman got on the bus. "Then she will sit in the closest seat to the driver. Whom she will whistle at." I could hear the old woman's whistle. "Then she will say..." In unison both Mrs.Tabbeth and Sam said, "God blessed that man with a pretty face." I raised an eyebrow. "Next Mr...." I stopped him from continuing, by covering his mouth. "I get it, our life is boring, but in six months you graduate, and will get a scholarship and go to whatever college you want to, and be whatever you want to be, but in the meantime just enjoy time with your loving big sister. What do you want to be anyways?" I asked. I knew the answer, but getting this boy to have a simple conversation was like pulling teeth. He sighed in defeat. I knew he couldn't resist rubbing his bright future in my face. "I am going to be a marine biologist, as the smartest kid in school it won't be hard to get into a good college, and of course I will be the smartest one in college as well." he said. I began to mock , "Ooh having a brother work at Sea World will be so fun." He began to turn red "I have told you before; I will be a scientist not some idiot dancing with dolphins!" I got up, and walked off the bus. "This is my stop. Have fun at school baby brother!" I yelled and blew him a kiss. His face got even redder with both anger and embarrassment.

As soon as the bus pulled away I sprinted to the beach as fast as I could. Sam didn't need to know that I was rushed to work each day, just so I could spend extra time with him. I got to the lifeguard station and changed into my swimsuit, punched in my time card, grabbed a whistle, and ran back to the sandy family filled beach. Some people think being a lifeguard is such a luxurious rewarding job, where you save people and stay at the beach happily all day. Those people haven't worked as a lifeguard. For the most part it is dealing with angry people, yelling at people to follow beach rules, putting ice on jellyfish stings, and having to deal with creeps hitting on you with bad one liners. So I run up and down a beach in hot weather as essentially customer support in a bathing suit. I watched as several seagulls flapped and squaked around an old man in a full suit. I kept an eye on him, his presence didn't sit right with me. For whatever reason he didn't quite fit in (and not just because he was wearing a suit at the beach). Just then I was sprayed with several squirt guns, as I was ambushed by a child's birthday party. When I looked back, the man was gone.

My co worker, Tony gets everything rewarding. The families call him if someone is drowning, he saves the puppy in the hot car, and many girls in swimsuits reward him greatly and very intimately. I don't ask for anything flashy, but would it be so bad if I could be the one to save the half dead kid. I just need something that I can brag to my brother about... other than putting ice on children's jellyfish stings. I am not asking for anything else. I could have fun If I wanted, Tony level fun. I have long dark brown wavy hair, and am fit from doing my job, not to mention for eight hours a day all I wear is a swimsuit and a necklace with a whistle, that gives me a perfect tan. However since money is tight, and if I'm not at work, then I am at home with Sam.

"Eight O'clock finally." I groaned. I stretched lifting my arms above my head. As I went back to punch out; I saw Tony was already punching out at the time slot. "So Harriet, my fellow lifesaver... We don't have work tomorrow. How about you..." I put my hand up. "Tony I won't pretend to like you, so I don't feel sorry when I say 'No' to whatever you were about to ask. Instead of trying to hit on me, go deal with the blondie who is waiting for you in your car." I pointed at a young woman waving out the car window.. He jumped and ran to his car, he had obviously forgot about tonight's scheduled fling. "I will strangle Sam if he ever turns out to be like that." After that I couldn't hold my laughter in. Just trying to imagine Sam simply talking to a girl made me laugh. I could see Tony glaring at me from the parking lot. He was probably thinking I was laughing at his expense. I punched out, changed clothes and went to the bus stop.

After arriving home I shouted into the Apartment "Sammy guess who is going to the beach tomorrow?!" He looked up from a book. "My guess would be an annoyingly happy lifeguard." He said in a monotone voice. "Sam you make it really hard to love you sometimes." I said in a dull voice. But I perked up again "You were half right though. An adorably happy lifeguard and her little fish obsessed robotic brother, are the ones whom will be at the beach." He closed his book and sat up to speak to me. "I will go with you on one condition. We leave early in the morning." I put my hand to my face "I hate low tide smell do we have to go early?" I moaned. "I want to observe the temporary micro-environments that are found in the tide pools. If we don't go at low tide, there will be no tide pools." he stared down his nose at me as he spoke. "I know I know. You fail to realize just how much time I spend at the beach. We won't go to my workplace though." That piqued his interest. "You found a new place?" he tilted his head. "I did! It's a bit out of the way, but it has a cove. So You can look at and examine all sorts of aquatic mumbo jumbo even after low tide. While you are being boring, I can swim. I don't even have to deal with any tourists."

The next morning we headed out. Sam packed a bag with his old Polaroid camera, a notebook, and some culture disks. I had two beach chairs, a few towels, sunscreen, and a cooler full of sandwiches. It took two bus rides, and a mile long walk, but we got there. Sam was wheezing despite having very little to carry. "Wow you really have let yourself go little brother."

"wheez...You run and wheeze... swim everyday." Whew, he finally caught his breath. I will work in a lab, and study behind a microscope. Then I will retire at a young age after a breathtaking discovery. I don't need to be fit. Yeah well I am carrying your lunch, your chair, your towel, the baby sunscreen for your sensitive skin. Multiply that by two, then add two gallons of ice. That is what I am carrying now, and I'm not wheezing, and this is way more than I carry at work. You might be scrawny, but that doesn't mean you should be weak. Be a man do a push-up. I can't beat up bullies for you in college." I mocked him though with some real concern. After I set up our chairs I plopped down to take in everything. I could see Sam going from tide pool to tide pool lingering and taking pictures of each one. Then stepping back to put a picture in a page of his journal, then labeling them. He never looked happier, than when he was 'examining' any kind of marine life. I looked at the coast and saw the same old man from the beach the day before. This wasn't private property, so I didn't have any right to make him leave, so rather I watched him. I am sure he will leave soon, I told myself. I heard the screeching of seagulls flying above. I watched them fly near the old man. Looking closer I noticed more of his features: his hair was silver, with a few black hairs left. His suit was different from the one the day before, but it was just as crisp and neat. He turned his head to shew away the the gulls. I saw he had a neatly trimmed beard, white from age. but his eyes... his eyes were amazing. They were deep and grey like the sea before a storm. He didn't seem to notice Sam or I. All that those eyes could see was the ocean itself, and a few pesky gulls. Fully clothed he started to walk into the water. He's weird I thought. I watched the water, waiting for his head to resurface. I waited for two minutes before I had to give up and use my lifeguard training. I sprinted to the water and dove in. I opened my eyes and searched where the old man should be. I swam deeper until I saw what I initially thought were two fish swimming upright. When my eyes focused was when I realized that these were no fish. The top half of these fish were human. I looked at each one's faces. One of them looked just like the strange man from the beach. The reality hit me like a brick, they were the same person, or tiny merman version of him. My head started to spin and soon, everything faded to black.

"Hey Dad! She is waking up!" I heard. "What...what happened?" I said. As I started to open my eyes I met the eyes of a handsome man. He was much younger than the old man, about my age. He had the same eyes, but at the same time completely they were different. His eyes were were still that of a stormy sea, but his eyes looked like the sea after the storm, not before. They were mesmerizing and calming. There was a handsome smile on his face. "Hi I'm Zepher Slade, the other guy is my dad Milo Slade. I lifted my head from the ground. That was the weirdest dream I have ever had. I don't know... I sat up and saw that my memory was no dream. The happy young man who had been talking to me, and the old man from before were both half fish. Each of them had long silver scaled tails and gills at each side of their neck. That is when the obvious hit me. If I am laying down, and they are swimming that must mean... I looked up and could see the sun, but under a veil of water. I tried to talk "Heh... buh... Ahu Sne" but I was in shock and could only utter some random sounds. How am I breathing?!?

"Chill chill...It's okay pretty lady." said Zephyr, trying to sooth me. "Zephyr It is not the time for flirting!" I looked past Zephyr to see the old man once again. He was swimming back and forth, it seemed as though he was pacing. He seemed very nervous and was mumbling to himself. I felt something touching my neck. I continued to watch the old man as I instinctively rubbed whatever was on my neck. Then I felt it. I had three slits on the side of my neck. My eyes started to widen and my face was obviously showing my terror. "Okay pretty lady, remember take it easy." Zephyr chimed in. "Those are just your new gills that's all. That's how you can breathe and talk down here. I was still in shock. If I have gills like them... I looked at my lap and saw a purple tail. As I saw it I screamed. It immediately turned red. I tried to get up to run, but I quickly found myself drifting back down to the ocean floor. "Kinda hard to run without feet right?" Zephyr said with a grin. "R...right" I said as if any of this made sense. Then as I laid there, a crab the size of a golden retriever walked past us. That was as much as my brain could take, and once again everything went black.

When I woke up I was alone in a blue room on some sort of pink cushion everything inside was silent. I looked down at my tail. for a brief moment it was purple, but as I started to panic again it turned red. I took a few deep breaths and my tail turned into a deeper red Why is it changing colors. Those other two both had solid silver tails. They didn't change. As my train of thought wondered, my tale turned into a purple shade once again. I felt my neck again rubbing my fingers over my gills, I could feel every breath. I examined my thin tail fin. It was nearly translusent, but it kept the same hue as the other scales on my tail. Oddly enough I didn't even notice that I was wearing a new shirt. It looked to be a green tube top. Okay Harriet you can do this. I sat up from the cushion and attempted to swim, and once again I found myself on the ground. Swimming with a tail is a bit different than with legs. Just then Zephyr swam in through the doorway. My tail flashed red when he came in, then back to purple when I realized who it was. "He had a big grin on his face. He swam and laid down next to me on the ground his hand holding up his head. "Hey pretty lady, having some trouble swimming?" He mocked. "Too soon for sarcasm I turned into a mermaid in a world with giant crabs, charming half aquatic guys, and humanoid gills. "Oh so you think I am charming?" He mocked again, with a crooked grin. "Don't think too highly of yourself, you are the only person I have met, for all I know everybody looks like you." He covered his heart with his hands, oh you hurt me so miss...?" He asked. "Harriet...Harriet Rivers, but I don't hate pretty lady." I said giving him a joking glance. "Well" he said "I don't mind charming either." he replied matching my tone. "How about I give you some swimming lessons? So you don't have to stay on the floor." My scales turned yellow this time "You are definitely special." He said smiling. He lifted me up and began instructing me "Okay keep your tail fin horizontal; match it to your shoulder movements. The synchronization of your shoulders and your tail fin is crucial. That way your body stays balanced. Your brain will be telling you to move each leg individually, it will take a bit before it adjusts to only having a tail. When you are swimming use, where your hips would be, to keep straight, and move your tail where your knees used to be. Human knees only move bend in one direction, whereas your tail moves both ways. We will work on swimming vertically when you can figure out how to do the basic movement.

Several failed attempts to swim later I managed to learn the basics. I was a bit wobbly, but Zephyr told me I would get used to it. Next he instructed and taught me how to swim vertically. "Usually we only swim like this when we are talking or eating." Zephyr explained. Soon I could swim without his help. At some point my tail had turned purple again. "Now Harriet your adventure takes a not so fun turn." Zephyr groaned. I cocked my head to the side not knowing what was coming. Zephyr led me out the door and into another more open room. looking around I could see odd furniture throughout the room. It resembled a living room. I sat down on a cushion similar to the one in the room. There was another woman in the room. she had long dark hair tied into a thick braid with beads strewn into it. She swam over to me and grabbed both of my hands. "Hello..." She looked at Zephyr. "Harriet" Zephyr said under his breath. She looked back to me "Hello Harriet, I am Mei. I am Zephyr's mom. "Oh it is nice to meet you Mrs...." I looked at Zephyr and he chuckled "Slade." I started again, "Hello Mrs.Slade it is great to meet you. your son has been very kind, teaching me how to swim." She shot another glance at Zephyr this time this one looked as though she was about to scold him. "I promise I was a gentleman, I only touched her arms and shoulders." He held his hands up. She looked back at me happily "I dressed you after you came here. I hope you don't mind." I shook my head quickly, "No, thank you very much, but what was wrong with my other shirt, other than the bottoms." I looked back down to my tail. Oh umm... your body has changed a bit more than you think it has. Before my husband comes we should brief you on some important things.

"Okay Dear, My very opinionated husband will be coming back soon. Remember his heart is in the right place, but his brain is full of politics and pride. So don't feel sad if he comes of as mean. He is actually quite sweet deep down." I breathed in and out. I noticed her tail was red and shiny. "Your scales are very beautiful, what other colors do they change to?" I asked. "Erm.." she started to respond when Zepher's dad swam in. Everything went silent. "Girl, now we need to talk." We both sat down on what seemed to be a stone table and chairs. Mrs.Slade sat down beside me, and Zephyr stayed in the room, not approaching his father. "Okay I will make this quick and do not plan on repeating myself. You are now a fish person, not a mermaid, a fish person. which means a no legs, gills, retractable webbing between your fingers, the ability to breathe underwater, and you are approximately nine inches tall." I was shocked at that last statement "Wait nine inches tall?" I said shocked. Milo continued "No interuptions someone else will answer questions later. As a fish person you change into a human form once you get to a shallow spot of five feet to shore. You will turn back into a fish person if you go past five feet into water from dry land. Now that you are a fish person, you can't stay on land for very long you must be in your fish form regularly now. Luckily you are a common tail so you can breathe in fresh water and salt water. So always live somewhere near a body of water. Fish people are a secret species, and are a secret people from humans. If you tell a human about our existence, the gulls will spread word and no one will let you into their bodies of water, and we are everywhere. You will certainly die, if you can't get into a deep body of water. There are other tail types. You have a weird tale, I have never seen a tail that changes color." I looked down at my tail that was turning a brighter yellow the longer he talked. He continued "We will have to present you to the elder. She is the wisest of us all, and she domineers our people."

"Okay honey. You are going to make the poor girl's head explode. Harriet you can stay with us while you get used to your new life." Life! Oh no I forgot about Sam on the beach. "Zephyr I left my little brother on the beach I am raising him. He is going to freak out if I am gone for too long. We need to go back!" He simply nodded his head and grabbed my wrist is we swam away. "Don't forget we are a secret!" Milo yelled out the door. We swam as fast as I could. Until we got to the spot where I had turned into a fish person. "Your body will feel some discomfort as it changes, but now that you are a fish person you have endorphins in your blood that stop the pain. We put your human clothes under that rock for you to change into." Zephyr said quickly. I stared back at him, and then my tail. It looked like a dusk sky as multiple shades of purple and blue ran from my waist to my tail fin. I began to swim away. Zephyr grabbed my wrist before I could leave, "Wait meet me here tomorrow." I thought about it carefully. I do have work tomorrow, but I can't risk going into the water anymore. Faking sick will only last a day or two, if I fake an injury I can get out of work, but I will have to fool Sam too. I nodded back. "I will be back at nine am. Can you bring a top for me to wear?" He nodded yes and I swam away.

When I got dressed I rushed to where Sam would be, and he was out cold sleeping on a beach chair Well glad to know if I go missing he will look for me. I rolled my eyes, but knew this was my chance to fake an injury. I walked back to the water and grabbed a sharp rock and cut my arm, just enough to make it look serious. Then I rubbed my arm against a jellyfish to give it a red swollen look. This hurt like Hell, but it would make my brother believe my lie. I walked over to my sleeping brother with a pained expression. "Sam we need to leave I think I broke my arm." He snapped his eyes open and looked at my arm. It looks bad we need to get you to a hospital. Crap we can't go to an actual hospital. "Sam I can't do any lifting. How about I go to the hospital, and you take a few trips to take all of our things home. You can poor out the ice in the coolers and feed the extra food to the seagulls. I can't carry anything with this arm. He loomed hesitant, but he knew that it would take a long time for him to get everything we brought, all the way home. He knows his strengths, and strength isn't one of them. "Okay Harriet, I will, you just get to the hospital safe and sound." He said

I walked away using one arm to support the other. Then I walked to the nearest Thrifty Mart. If a hoarder had to get rid of her things, that's where it goes. Nothing is garbage, and that is where I could find a cheap arm brace. Which I found in about an hour. I took two busses to get home but when I showed up I was wearing my new used arm brace. Sam rushed up to me "Are you okay? What did the doctor say? Is it broken?" He looked so frantic, I didn't want to worry him too much. "Don't worry, they said the cut was only superficial, and that I only tore a ligament, but I have to be in this brace for six weeks." I lied. "What about medication? Did they prescribed you anything?" He asked still obviously worried. "The doctor gave me a shot of antibiotics for the open cut and bandaged it up, other than that he just said to rest my arm and take ibuprofen if the pain is bad." He still looked worried. I smiled softly and petted his head. "Don't worry Sam I am fine." He clenched his fists, if I was awake, I could have prevented this." He looked so guilty as he spoke. I wished I could tell him the truth, but it would literally kill me. "Sammy I hurt my arm on a rock when I was swimming (partially true), you couldn't have prevented anything." I smiled. I forgot to ask you about the cove. Did you find anything interesting?" I asked. I knew he would be happy to talk about his aquatic findings, and I would actually listen this time because it might actually come in handy. Sadly though, he went on and on about phytoplankton. I knew I became small, but not phytoplankton small. I found myself daydreaming about tomorrow. What will we do? Will it just be me and Zephyr? What is the elder like? Why does my tail change colors? As the questions continued though I began to worry. What will I do for work? How will I support Sam and I? I had to start thinking rationally. Day after tomorrow I will fill out job applications near the beach, and apply for sick leave at the beach. I only have to do this for six months then Sam will move out, and I can just stay in the water. Yeah, everything will be fine. "Sis..Sis...SIS!" I snapped out of my thoughts to Sam yelling at me. you heard nothing that I said did you?" He went from worried little brother back to the smart-*** brother that I love very fast. I sighed "I really tried to listen, but once you got to phytoplankton you lost me." Let's go to bed. We are both exhausted after today. That night I could hardly sleep. I kept thinking about Zephyr. I don't know what the attraction is; he is half fish and he is only like a foot tall, none the less I couldn't stop thinking of him, and those eyes.

I was swimming very slowly, barely hovering in calm waters. My hair was suspended in the water, moving ever so slightly with the the movement of the water. Then Zephyr came close. My tail pulsed in different colors with the sight of him. His grey stormy eyes locked with mine. He slowly swam closer, wrapping one arm around my waist, and the other holding up my chin. He began to slowly lean in for a perfect kiss...

I woke up sitting straight in my bed. Uhh why did you have to wake up? That was perfect... but why him? Yes he is gorgeous and charming, but I have only known him for a day. I was even unconscious for most of it. That dream felt so real. It was almost....

"Harriet wake up we are going to be late!" I heard Sam yelling from the hallway. I sat up, swinging my legs to the floor "Ow!" The pain from being out of the water for so long was definitely real. "Violet are you okay in there?" Sam yelled through the door. "Yeah I just bumped my arm. I am fine." I hurriedly left my bedroom and hopped in the shower. The water made my legs feel slightly better, but I could still feel the pain. I got out of the shower and ran to my room getting ready for our morning routine. I got dressed got a Poptart and we ran to the bus stop. "What are you going to do for work?" I will put in my two weeks notice, and find a different job. They have no use for a life guard that can't swim." I said pointing to my arm brace. "I will find a different job, in the mean time we will just live off of instant noodles for awhile." I smiled at him, and he gave me a weak smile back. We waited a few minutes, and finally got to my stop. I ruffled Sam's hair. "Have a good day at school baby brother." I said. "Take it easy." He replied. I got off of the bus, and for the first time I didn't have to run to the beach for work. When I arrived Tony was already flirting with his first harem of the day. I went to the lifeguards post, and met with my supervisor, who thankfully was there that day. I filled out the papers for my two weeks notice, and was already on my way back to the bus station. An hour later I found myself at the secluded cove. I looked at the shore, the same water that changed my life. I took of my arm brace, and ran into the water, eager to relieve the soreness in my dry legs. I got to five feet, and just like that I began to change. Once again my tail came back, my scales were purple once again. "Hey!" I heard from behind a rock. My tail flashed red before I realized that it was Zephyr. "Hey why are you hiding?" I asked beginning to swim towards him. "Because I am a gentleman, and I know you are topless when you change." he said. My face turned red and my tail turned yellow, just now realizing how exposed I was. I covered myself with my arms. "Here, wear this he swam out from behind the rock. One hand covering his eyes, the other holding the shirt I had asked for the day prior. "Thank you." I said. I quickly put it on. "Okay you can open your eyes now." I said to Zephyr. He uncovered his eyes. I was expecting some sort of compliment, but he just said "Okay follow me." This meeting isn't as romantic as I thought it was going to be. Once we got deeper into the water though he turned his charm back on. He flipped to swimming with his back to the ocean floor and his crossed hands behind his head, keeping it up. "Okay newbie here is some common knowledge; never linger in the shallows. if a human sees you they will turn into a fish person too. Like you yesterday." He swam up vertically and and gestured to me. It is illegal to make a human turn into an aquatic creature purposely, it is very taboo and humiliating to do it on accident. So my dad is not in the best mood recently." I blushed in embarrassment, and my tail gained a few yellow scales among my regular purple scales. "Sorry." Zephyr laughed. Just then another fish person swam up from behind. My tail tuned yellow. "Wow Zeph! Who is she?" The girl swam circles around me. She had a tail that was orange fading to pink like a sunset. Her two blond braids whipping behind her as she sped faster around me. "Her tail changed colors! Like for real not like the sun hitting her scales making them look shiny." the girl said, "Hi I am Trixy!" She wrapped me in a hug. I looked at Zephyr very confused. "Trixy back off, she just turned yesterday. I think you are scaring her." He said in a joking voice. Immediately she unraveled her arms and backed off. "I am so sorry. I thought you were new here like from a different reef, not from land." She apologized speaking very fast. My tail went back to purple. "Ah it did it again! Who changed her? How do you do that? Can you control it? When did you change? How..." Zephyr pulled her backwards by her braids and covered her mouth "Sorry about Trixy she is easily excited." he said to me. Then he looked down at Trixy who was forcefully being held against his chest with her mouth covered. I envied her for a split second. "Okay I will calm down." Trixy said. "Now newbie, what is your name?" She asked more gently. I responded "I am Harriet Rivers, and to answer some of your other questions: I have no Idea how my scales change colors, I can't control them. I turned into a fish person yesterday, so I know almost nothing, and Zephyr's dad changed me." At that last bit her jaw dropped. She turned back facing Zephyr. "Milo Slade, Mr. All mighty ruler of all social conduct, and the most self righteous fish person EVER changed someone!?" She said in utter shock. "Keep it down my dad will kill me if word that a Slade changed someone gets out. Harriet it is best if you just say you don't remember who changed you." Zephyr said. "Why, I know it is taboo, but what is it that big of a deal?" Trixy laid her arm over my shoulders which made me wobble a bit. "Your buddy Zephyr Slade here is a social elite. A prince if you will, and his whole family for generations has been treated as celebrities or royals, because of their genetics." Trixy explained "You see your tail color isn't based on genetics, but the color that your soul is however; the Slade family here has managed to give every male heir a tail of silver scales for generations. Not only that, elders can't read their souls, so they are a mystery. This means there might in fact be a genetic component to our scales, but no one has figured out how for centuries." She told me this in a voice that reminded me of hearing a scary story. I thought about it for a moment. "What if instead of a genetic component your ancestors simply reincarnated back into the same family each time they died. Leaving you with the same tail color. Your soul may be unreadable because it has been through so many lifetimes." Both of them were still. They looked at eachother, nodded, and each grabbed one of my arms. We sped through the reef I could see passing fish people as we swam quickly through the water. "Where are we going!" I yelled. "We are taking you and your ideas to the elder." Trixy said. I was shocked, "Has really no one thought of this before?"

"Not that I know of." said Zephyr. We swam and swam until finally we reached a large podium with another cushion. On top the cushion sat an elderly fish person with a maroon tail. She was covered in wrinkles and age spots. She had to have been at least 90 years old. Both Trixy and Zephyr gave a quick light bow. I followed their movements in suit, very confused. My tail turned a deep yellow color. "Elder this peculiar newcomer has an idea as to what the Slade family scale mystery is." Trixy said. The elder raised her eyebrows, making her eyes a little more visible. "Hmm it seems she has brought a few mysteries. Sit down newcomer let me see you." She gestured for me to sit on the cushion beside her. She looked me up and down. "Yes you are a mystery all in and of yourself." She said while nodding. "Miss White please braid this newcomer's hair while we speak." She looked at Trixy. Trixy immediately started braiding my hair. "Now young one what is your name?" She asked. "My name is Harriet Rivers, mam." Trixy whispered in my ear "Call her elder or dear elder." I stuttered a bit "I..I..

mean dear elder." She gave an old friendly smile. "Rivers...sounds like you were born to live in water." The old woman pulled one of my scales off quickly and painfully, like ripping off a bandaid. My whole tail flashed multiple colors rapidly. "Ow! What the Hell old lady." I said. Trixy and Zephyr both had shocked expressions. The elder simply laughed though. "Been awhile since I was given an insult haha. Feels good to be talked to like a normal person every now and again." I nodded my head "Sorry elder.". She looked at the scale that she had plucked, but as soon as it left my tail, it turned white. "You are a mystery all in yourself little cuttlefish." I will have to see what the spirits have to say about you as well. "I can't control when it changes color though." I said "Sure you can it seems to be related to how you feel. It is purple when you are calm and yellow when you are nervous. I haven't seen any other expressions, but you have a different color for each feeling. Now what was this idea you have?" "Well I am new here and don't know much, but is reincarnation a possibility. If so maybe you can't read the male Slades, because multiple reincarnations of the same family line have become the next heir each generation. Multiple lives, souls, and personalities would make reading them difficult." I said. The elder appeared to be thinking. "I will take up this idea with the ocean spirits.". I was confused, but didn't question her. "We said our farewells respectfully then swam off. *It c*hanges because of emotion, that is horrible. People will be able to tell when I am lying about something, what if I get a color for when I am turned on. Oh God that would be horrible.

"Hey what are you thinking?" asked Trixy. "I am thinking about my cursed tail and how many white lies I tell to be polite will be useless, or embarrassing things I want to hide." Trixie looked at my tail. "What are you feeling right now?" she asked "I am upset." I replied. "Okay now we know your tail turns blue when you are upset. We dont need to fill anyone else in one what your colors mean, and if you start to feel something you don't want others to see, only you and me will know what it means." I smiled back at her grateful for the advise. "How about we ditch Zeph I looked back up at him and there were three women surrounding Zephyr. "Yeah he looks busy." I was a bit jealous, but luckily my tail stayed blue. So Trixie and I swam off.

"Are you sure Zephyr won't worry?" I asked Trixy. "We will be fine. No worries." She said "Ooh I'm hungry let's eat!" she yelled. then grabbed my wrist and we went to the nearest restaurant. Much like the other buildings and structure it was carved out of the coral reef. "I have never eaten anything from underwater before." I said meekly. "Don't worry I come here all the time. You stay here, I will order." She swam to another fish person who was standing behind a counter. There were a lot of similarities between aquatic life and life on land, but at the same time, it is completely different. I looked around seeing fish people swimming around going about their daily lives. I saw a fish person infant with an all white tail, then another. That wasn't the strangest though, there were fish people with tentacles instead of tails, and some were larger than the rest and had tails like whales. I watched what was a regular day at the reef in absolute awe. This world is so odd, but in reality I was the odd one out. Everything was magical, that is until I saw the food. "Eat up!"