Sparkling far and wide, like glitter, the large waves break as dolphins and whales burst out, took a long deep breath, and slowly sand right back down. The further you look the less you can see, besides an endless void of blue sky and green water. 

"It's the ocean!!!" Shouts a higher pitch squealing voice, from the edge of the cool forest shade. 

Kiro Leburn Goldheart, reaching her nineteenth year, she's grown only an inch taller. Her once short oakwood brown hair reaches past her shoulder, force up in a messy bun. Her dark gold brown eyes widen several sizes as she observes for the first time in her life, an oceanic reef so beautiful. Her skin still pale has a touch of gold seeping through, her once chubby body now a more solid healthy round. Round baby face with full cheeks, and a large nose and forehead. Her short legs are thick with muscles built over the years, and her arms and shoulder are the stockiest she's ever been. Dress in loose light-colored clothing, to avoid the heat, she races ahead screaming out in pure joy, flapping her arms in the cool ocean breeze. 

Behind her watching carefully is Allishea Lightfeather Zelepher. She hasn't changed much over the years, her coconut brown hair still elegantly calm, and braided back in a sweeping tail. She's always been on the slimmer side, but one look and you see muscles rippling head to toe. Her skin already a deep mocha has become an even deeper shade of chocolate beneath the sun. She reaches up to her long pointed ears, pushing back a loose strand of hair. Her face is on the narrow side, and a bit sharp with hollow-out cheeks, and a nose like a beak. Her silvery gold eyes are a little too large on her face and shaped like almonds dipped in chocolate. Her sweeping lashes give her a sleepy appearance. 

She moves forward, practically at home, barely disturbing the sand beneath her. The brown cloak she always wear has been changed over to a much looser and cooler version with shorter sleeves, and less length to it.  

"My Lady, please do be careful!" She calls after Kiro, unable to hide her own smile. Her voice is this calm feminine depth to it, much like molasses or honey. She gives a slightly suspicious but not angry look behind her, as another figure leaves the forest grounds. 

Raven, that's what Kiro calls him, having escaped his imprisonment has been gifted back his original body. Nearly seven feet tall, a bit thicker than Allishea, and more masculine with wide shoulders and chest, he's not too muscular due to dystrophy. He lifts a slender long-fingered hand up, to block the sunlight from his ink-black eyes ringed in fire. They too are almond in shape but quirked upwards at the ends in an impish smirk. His face is long and narrow but not sharp instead there's this softness around his cheeks and nose. His lips too are impishly sweet, and long. Fluttering in the wind is obsidian blue hair with stripes of purple that meld together to create an illusionary set of raven wings. He takes in an uncomfortable breath, "Why are we here again?" He's complaining loudly, sweeping his eyes left and right. 

Kiro ignores him, taking off her shoes and running along the oceanside. The water tugs and pulls at her toes, the sand tickling her heels. A sudden and strong urge to swim fills her. The only thing she used to fear beyond anything else, I snow back to being her friend. It's been so long since she's felt this way about water. In pure excitement, she steps out further and further only to be stopped by Allishea. 

"Don't go out too far, the water here is strong." 

Kiro's eyes get impossibly large as she begs, "I really wanna swim!" 

Raven avoids the edges of the water, not in fear but distaste. "It's cold and wet, and boring." 

Kiro sticks her tongue out at him, "Come one, please Allishea! We have an entire day to ourselves, and the locals say it's safe."

Allishea glances at the ocean, "They also say there's ancient magic in these waters... I don't know if we should..." She stops as Kiro's eyes gleam, suddenly she feels like a person telling a child they cannot go on the swings. Biting her lips, she glances at the water not sure if they should risk their safety. 

Raven flops down on the warm sand, just far enough from the water. "Just let the idiot swim, not like we got anything else to do." He closes his eyes, soaking in the sunlight. 

With a sigh Allishea gives in, "Alright, but please not too far away."

Kiro with a flourish, tosses her shoes next to Raven, wadding in as far as she can. 

The water is indeed cold, a stinging sensation that climbs up further and further as she walks forward. Then it slowly got warmer and warmer, to the point it soothes her. Waves gently move her back and forth like a playmate. Trails of kelp and seaweed float past and brush against her legs. She goes far enough she has to tread water. 

"If only I can breath underwater..." Kiro whispers softly. 

"Why not?" A little voice squeaks. 

Suddenly, right next to Kiro popping its head out, is a sun drop fish the size of her palm. "Hello, can you hear me?" 

"I can," Kiro says in shock unable to hide her surreal excitement. She's seen a lot, but never a talking fish.

"I live in these waters. Usually, the village children come here to play with me, but they haven't been here in a while... Are they bored of me?" 

"I don't think so," Kiro says reassuringly, "There was this huge storm and it demolished the village nearby. When we came by, it just looks like they were all busy, even the kids. Once it's cleared up, I'm sure they'll come back... How do they play with you?"  

The little fish giggles, "We just play little human, Let me show you." The fish bumps its nose against Kiro's arm, emanating a flash of light. 

It's quick and without incident. There's this sudden loss of momentum, and then a heaviness weighing her down. She looks and there's this huge nine-foot long tail deep maroon red specked in white spots along the spine ending in a puffy tail a bit like a goldfish. It's not an illusion or even a simple transformation. her legs are completely gone and she can feel the tail's connection to her. The water's movements change sweeping and sliding across her scales in a ticklish way. There's this sudden panic as Kiro fumbles losing her balance and falling face-first into the water.

"Hahahaha, you can't swim?" The fish teases, circling around Kiro's head. "Don't panic, breath in and out." 

Kiro follows the fish's instructions, and within seconds a strange comfort fills her. The ocean's call is different from before. At first, it was just friendly, but now... it's as if Kiro's returned. Body relaxing and an internal sigh whispers 'I'm Home'. 

She slowly took her time learning the movements, spinning, and even flipping. The fish next to her plays gigging and daring Kiro to dive deeper. She takes the dare, gigging herself as she becomes a part of the ocean's reef. 

The reef is a splash of colors ranging from shades of brown and white to many brilliant reds and oranges. Round, square, triangle, even a few that rise like little castles. There are sea anemones, and sea stars, and urchins, hanging out with many more creatures that Kiro can't name. There are little colorful fish that dash from reef cover to reef. And there are large fish as big or even bigger than her head, that drift slowly pecking at the corals. There are even octopuses, some stare at her, others hide, and a few curiously drift closer.  

Kiro spots several sharks, their long bodies sleek and fast, their large heads moving side to side. 

"Are they going to attack us?" Kiro asks, her voice longer and much harder to hear even to herself. Talking fast merges the words together in a single noise. It takes her a bit before she slows her words just enough she can speak coherently. 

"Oh no, of course not. I don't let my friends hurt special guests. Not under my watch." The little fish explains nuzzling Kiro's chin. "As long as I am here, you are welcomed." 

"Thank you," 

Someone splashes high above, scattering a few fish. 

Allishea, who had seen Kiro suddenly vanish under the waves, dove into the water without hesitation, searching all over. She spots Kiro, surprised at the sight of her having a tail. Next to Kiro, strangely out of place in the ocean, is a little fish. A bright yellow, more yellow than any fish she's seen, like the sun above suddenly split its finest sunray and gifted it to its scales. 

It darts upwards, touching noses with Allishea. There's this light and a warm feeling overwhelming her. In a slightly frenzy panic, Allishea reaches for her pouch finding it loose and even floating away. She bearly catches it. Its leather cord has been snapped. Looking around, she sees a massive shark fin. "Ahhhhhh!!!!" She screams trying to swim away but her legs aren't working. She struggles, "Shark!"

"No, no Allishea! Look it's you're tail. Not a shark." Kiro shouts her voice not fearful, but full of child-like excitement, "Just look down. You'll see." 

Allishea stops flailing and looks down. She has, this huge shark tail attached to her waist. It's sleek and dark in coloration except for her belly that's this pale fishy white. "How???" She questions glancing at the fish, "Who are you?" 

"I don't have a name, I don't need one. Names are for those who don't know themselves. I know who I am, and I don't need some title to declare me." The little unnamed fish darts around Allishea, "Are you the last playmate? Or is there another?" 

Kiro suddenly has this devilish grin on her face, "There's one more, but he'll be a bit harder to drag here." 

The little fish hearing the childish glee in Kiro's tone, swims in closer, "Ooooooooh, how do we get him in the game?" 

Allishea drifts back, not really joining the plan. Instead, she keeps an eye out like a sentinel, determined not to let anything ruin Kiro's day. 

Kiro suddenly dashes forward, hitting her head on a reef bar, "Och!!!" 

The little fish giggles, "You have to swim silly."

"I was, it's just hard to swim upwards."

"Like this!" The little fish points its head upwards and swam over the ledge, "It's not 'that' hard." it teases. 

Blushing heavily, Kiro attempts a few more times before she can angle her body just right. Allishea took to it more naturally swimming up with little difficulty. 

Kiro pops her head from the water, spotting her target. Raven completely ignores everything that's happening in the water. His soft breathing gets deeper and deeper as he slowly drifts asleep. 

Kiro gets in as close as she can with her new tail, and shouts as she splashes water over him, "Tag, your it!" 

The water splash is a bit more powerful than Kiro anticipated. Alongside the tail, her hands have grown webs, that are great for cupping water. And adding the little fish who magically created this foot-high wave, they drowned Raven in a shock of cold water. He sputters and flails cursing up a storm. 

Quick to act, the little fish bumps her nose against Raven, who's still slightly out of water. Kiro watches in fascination as this, strangely colorful and clownfish-looking tail appears where his legs were with a flash of light. 

Kiro can't contain her giggles. "You're a clownfish!"

"Fri-num!" He spits out sand, trying to get up only to find his legs gone and replaced with a tail. He blinks several times in shock, and then lets out this threatening growl, "Who fucking turned me into a fish?!" He spins seeing Kiro, "What in the world have you done this time!" He starts to crawl forward but is unbalanced and more like waddling in place. 

This scene causes Kiro to burst out in more laughter, "Don't be mad,... phfttt..." She can't even complete her sentence, taking in air to laugh some more. 

"I am a stinking fish," He gets his sea tail, and slides into the water. "Why am I so sparkly," He grumbles, "And what's going on?"

The little fish appears before his face, "I turned you, silly human, into a fish, I want to play games! Games under the sea!"  

"One, I am not human. Two go play elsewhere," He flicks the fish sending her spiraling into Kiro's chest. Unharmed and laughing, the fish play in Kiro's hair. 

"My, my..." Allishea swims over, "How... colorful."

Raven grits his teeth in a savage smile, "And how... Shyrian..." He stops mid-sentence as she did and they glare at one another. 

Kiro slams into them both, grabbing their hands and giggling, "Come one! Let's explore!" She beams at them both easing the building tension. "Lead the way little fish!" 

The fish dashes here and there, "Of course. Want to see the haunted ship first!" 

Kiro's eyes glow brightly, and for the first time in a long time, she feels like a child in the midst of play. How exciting it is, to be a kid.