A long time ago, the Earth blessed four spirits, making them gods. The gods of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, oversee their realms, creating sentient creatures to help cultivate their lands. These beings constantly fought each other for supremacy, eventually driving the servants of Water, the Merfolk, to extinction. Millennia later Kyle Weathers receives a gift from an old and mysterious lady while working in Haiti. This gift will change his life forever.

Ithycca
Chapter 4: Legs?
by AoifeM

The flash of light must have knocked me out for a few hours. The first thing I felt was the water filtering in and out through my gills- a feeling that still was new and unusual to me. Opening my eyes all I saw was black. The salty taste rolling off my tongue made it evident that Gaia sent me to the ocean.

The immediate realization sent me into a frenzied panic. There really isn’t anything more frightening than being in an unfamiliar place, all alone and in complete darkness. I wanted to scream, but all that accomplished was me coughing up access water in a rather violent manner, sending bubbles upward towards the surface. Seems Gaia was right, merfolk can’t simply communicate like a human can.

That still didn’t keep me from flailing around, worried. My tail was swinging around aimlessly, and I was blind as a bat. I had never been in the ocean before, let alone like this.

Clueless of what to do, and the adrenaline getting to me, I fell into instinctive drift, and not thinking, suddenly I witness a glow surround me. Surprised, my cognizance slowly began to return to me. Looking down I witnessed my tail glowing with faint, lavender light, illuminating the area around me. It didn’t last long, however, and soon enough everything went dark again.

This perplexed me. Could my tail have some form of bioluminescence? Witnessing my new ability, my thoughts were immediately directed to recreating it. That was easier said than done. It’s like an infant struggling to stand up for any period of time. I almost worried if I tried too hard I might fart or something! Not that anyone was around, but I can’t help but be a little self conscious about it.

I quickly became frustrated over the prospect. Ironically when I decided to give up my tail thought it funny to light up once more. This time the light illuminated a wider area. It seemed to be more of a reflexive action; the more relaxed I felt the easier it was to use it.

Spending a good amount of time playing around with it, eventually I got a good feel how to get my tail to light. It wasn’t a permanent light, but more like a firefly, I had to keep lighting it on occasion. Eventually it would become a routine habit when swimming leagues deep.

This led me to my next problem. For the brief period I’ve been a mermaid, the most water I’ve been into was my bathtub and Gaia’s aquarium. That gave me little room to actually learn how to swim. Now I’m out in the middle of nowhere, and I didn’t even know if this ocean ever had an end. Luckily, being able to breathe underwater gave me as much time as need to really get used to this.

I tried to think back to my old biology lessons. I remembered old videos of different types of fish: sharks, trout, tuna. My tail was oddly different from many of them. Most fish like species swim by moving their tails laterally from left to right. Mine was flexible enough to move left to right, and up and down in a paddle form. I couldn’t bend it like I could legs since my tail didn't have any joints, but instead a group of muscles I eventually learned are called myomeres. It was so flexible it could move with the currents, twisting and turning, I could easily turn on a dime.

It didn’t take much thought as my tail began to paddle, and I immediately was surprised how fast I traveled, and I hardly expended any energy. As a human, going this fast would easily wear them down, if they could swim that fast at all. I, however, felt like I could go even faster.

Deciding to swim in a more fish like undulatory motion, I moved my tail side to side, and picked up the speed. I easily flew like a bullet across the basins and the ravines. Swimming at top speed I felt like a torpedo. I forgot my worries, and I beginning to enjoy myself and my new body. The exhilaration I felt as the water jetted across my body. I went so far as to antagonize a group of two to three tiger sharks with my glowing tail, and even then I could out swim them. I never felt so alive. In my mind, I was the queen of these waters, a nothing could stop me.

Still all good things had to come to an end. I had to find shore, and hopefully find out where I was. Reaching the surface, I was greeted to a full moon and starry night; the moon light reflecting my wet bosom, still covered in Eliza’s swim top. I really needed to find her; she must’ve been worried sick.

Looking around at the surface however there was no sign of shore anywhere. At least I had a fair idea which way was north. I’d feared that swimming the opposite direction I’d be in South America. So deciding to swim away from the moon, I went that way.

It seemed to be the right the decision. Swimming near the surface at inhuman speeds, sure enough I spotted land. By the time I reached shore, the sun was creeping up. Reaching the beach my tail became a handicap. Using my delicate arms, I struggled to climb up to the shore. Seeing a nearby rock, I dragged my hapless body over and using it as balance since I hadn’t a butt to sit with; I leaned my back over it and rested. Land was definitely my weakness.

Obviously thinking ahead wasn’t my greatest of strengths either. I was on land, and with a little investigation I could probably figure out where I would up at. Unfortunately, I would have a hard time doing anything if I couldn’t move.

“I’m so proud of you girl,” I overheard. The Creole voice awfully familiar.

Looking up I saw the person who got me caught up in this mess in the first place. It was Gaia.

“What the hell? Where did you send me? Why would you do that to me?” I was obviously extremely irritated as I rapidly fired questions at her without breaking for breath.

“How else would you learn?” She said. “You’re a mermaid, you’ll hafta get used to swimmin’ great lengths. And you did a fantastic job by the way. Just like a real Little Mermaid.”

Getting compared to Ariel wasn't going to earn her any brownie points. Sarcastically I quipped, “Gee, thanks auntie.” I followed by flapping my tail, pulling the sand off my fin.”

“Well, I suppose I should reward you for your puttin’ up with me dear,” she proposed. And with a wave of her finger and a flash of light my fin was gone, replaced by a pair of silky smooth human legs.

Shocked I jumped up, my feet instinctively landed on the ground like I hadn’t lost them. “W-what did you do?!” I exclaimed, both freaked out and intrigued at the same time.

“It seemed like you be needin’ assistance moving about,” she replied. She threw me a towel. “You might want to cover up, ya clam be showin’, it not very lady like.”

Looking down I didn’t even realize that my crotch was showing. Embarrassed I quickly grabbed her towel and wrapped it around me.

With my face being as red as a copper skinned woman could get, Gaia decided to move on to a different topic, “Come. Let’s be headin’ to my place.”

“You’re place?” I restated. “Just how many places do you have?”

Laughing she answered, “I’m the God of Earth dear. I tend to get along plenty fine, living as long as I have.” Motioning me over she reiterated, “Come now.”

Shaking out the kinks of my new legs, I followed her. It really took awhile to get my center of gravity back. I had been a mermaid for over 24 hours, plus when I did have legs I didn’t have the curvaceous features I did now. As we walked the streets we continued our conversation.

“So,” I began, “Where are we exactly?”

“This be Key West,” She answered, shocking me, “I figured you might need a better place to relax, and maybe get used to your new self without all the problems.”

“Well maybe I was fine being in Haiti,” I stated, not very thrilled.

“Nuthin’ be sayin’ you can’t just swim back, dear,” she stated. “You got the capability.”

“I hope Eliza is ok,” I said with my head hung down.

“She be ok,” Gaia assured me, “When the time comes you can check up on her.”

She led me to a small, yet cozy beachfront house. Turning to me she invited me in, “Well what you be standin’ there for? Come in!”

I walked in. This was a quaint place, something back when I was Kyle I would love to have bought. It had a bar, with plenty of alcohol, fruit drinks and other beverages. The family room had a big screen television surrounded by leather furniture. Further in the back was a patio which oversaw the beach and ocean further on.

She led me to the bedroom, which was luxurious to say the least. It had its own aquarium. The teal covered walls gave it an oceanic flair. The bed had a water bed mattress; it would probably feel awesome in either mermaid or human form. Behind the headboard was a rocky wall, a man made waterfall gently flows from the wall to the bottom below. The sounds and sights could put anyone to sleep like a stone.

She offered me to sit down on her bed, and I happily obliged. Plopping down, I took the time to further interrogate her. I had many questions for her; the first question I truly wanted to know might be the hardest one for her to answer.

“What was my Mother like?” I asked her.

She sighed, obviously trying to come up with the words to answer me, “Your mother, Alora, was an eccentric being. We weren’t the closest of siblings. Then again, none of my siblings were. I’m sure as more of your memories return to you’ll understand her more.”

“So why couldn’t you two get along?” I couldn’t help but wonder.

“That’s just the way of the world.” She answered, “I was chosen to hold the gate of this world. Heaven, Hell, and even your world of Atlantis; all worlds meet here. Earth. My siblings are not the most appreciative of this fact.”

“My mom included?” I interrupted

She nodded, “I tell you this not because I wish for you to hate her. What you do be your own right. She obviously loved you enough to restore your existence. Whatever else you be needin’ to know you hafta find yourself.”

She began to walk out wondering where she was planning on going. She turned back to me, and said, “This place be your place now. Call it a gift from your loving aunt. Do what you will here. The legs are yours as well. It be a glamour, just think it and bam, you be human again. It be like magic. Can’t be a man no more though.”

Looking at my luck, I guess I should thank God for small blessings.

“And don’t think because you look human that you can go ‘round not havin’ to worry ‘bout ya mermaid biology!” She implored me, “You still need to maintain hydration at regular intervals, which means you need to be out and swimmin’, ya?”

“Hold up-!” I cried, though those words were unheeded and with a flash of light she vanished.

“Great,” I said cynically. I really hate when she does that. Here I was, alone, in a house given to me by someone I only just begun to know. And what’s worse, I was here wearing nothing more but the top half of a two piece bikini swimsuit and a towel around my waist, covering the more intimate parts of my female anatomy.

Walking to the bathroom, I took the opportunity to look at myself through the mirror for the very first time. Sure, I was human again, but the whole female thing still proved to be annoying. I spent 22 years of my life as a man. I steeled myself for what I was about to witness. Slowly I stepped in front of the mirror and gazed upon my whole, female self. I was mesmerized by every little detail of my face: the light brown skin, the cute face, the light brown hair, the petite little nose, the emerald eyes and succulent red lips. This proved too much for me to behold, and quickly turned my head away.

And the worst part was that feeling that my entire life as a man was a lie, that all the achievements I had, like my amazing intelligence, my athletic abilities, and my outgoing nature, was all just because I was really a mermaid, locked inside the body of Kyle Weathers, just waiting to get out.

Finding a robe on the bathroom door hanger, I decided maybe it was best if I covered up a little. Surprisingly it was just my size. It wasn’t a bad feeling as the microfibers seemed to massage my smooth, sensitive skin.

Walking back into the bedroom, I saw the sun peaking over my window. I pulled down the shades and plopped down onto my waterbed. It felt fantastic how the movement of the mattress rippled across my body. It felt so similar to that when I was a mermaid swimming just hours earlier. I suppose I can wait a little longer to reconvene with Eliza. I was obviously tired; it seems like swimming across the Gulf of Mexico takes a lot out of you. It didn’t take more than a few minutes before I passed out.