Now, being a man of logic, you’d think Dusk Shine would have been in constant denial and panic over his transformation and all. While true to an extent, Dusk chose to take a different approach to the situation. As a scientist, he would scoff at anyone who told him dragons and mermaids were real, unless they had solid evidence to the contrary. The purple tail Dusk had in place of his legs definitely qualified. So rather than fretting over how it happened, he decided to focus on finding out the how! Although it wasn’t until he thought about all the rewards sure to come from this did he stop freaking out and repeatedly shouting loudly about how such things were impossible and defied everything about order that let him sleep at night.

With that said, the first thing Dusk did before anything else was test the theory of if mer... whatever, could get oxygen from the water as well as air like in most legends, or if like all, admietly, know marine mammals, needed air. While he couldn’t complain when the former proved true, he couldn’t help but sigh in irritation of such an impossible adaptation.

“More questions than answers,” he mused, ten minutes of just lying on the bottom of the hole, testing himself out. “Guess this means I won’t be making it to Bubble’s party.” He chuckled

A chill ran down his spine to that. What if he was now stuck like this forever? His eyes turning to the statue that got him into this mess.

“Right,” he told himself, swimming up and placing a hand nervously out to the orb. Or maybe a pearl now that he could see without his goggles. “Test; See if the orb acts as a two way device between human, and mer. Hypothesis, should. No reason why it wouldn’t.” He touched the pearl.

Nothing happened. Before he stated freaking out, he looked down to the statues base. Careful this time so as not hit his head, he floated down to the wording to try and read the message. While he couldn’t make out the entire thing, he believed he was able to get the jist of what it was trying to say. Something about a pair of lovers, this thing being a magical ritual device, and what seemed to be a time frame that hinted at this transformation lasting for more than one day.

“Guess I might be stuck like this for at least a day.” He sighed and rested on the cave floor and looked upwards towards the surface.

“Fine, I get it! Hang out with my friends more and tried to get laid! Happy?” he shouted to no particular deity. “Oh, what to do, what to do? he to do?” Dusk rolled into his side. “What am I supposed to do now?”

His eyes lit up as realize something, looking around the water. “What can I- I can fucking breath underwater! What the can’t I do that every other human explorer could only dream of?!” He laughed loudly to himself. A quote from one of his philosophy professor coming to mind about always finding ways to turn your problems into solutions. Well, this was quite the problem, and he had just came up with one hell of a solution! The possibilities of this little unforeseen hiccup outpacing his brains ability to think.

“Now,” he grinned wickedly, tapping this fingers together. “How much film is on that underwater camera?”

****

With a snap, Dusk used up photo twenty three of his camera’s thirty. He was doing his best to conserve film, but everywhere he turned, there saw nine perfect snapshot moments that would have had Natleo stop their presses! So far, he had found ten unmarked shipwreck, one of which having real pirate treasure inside, sixteen rare and thought to be endangered species of coral, six dozens new species of crustaceans and cuddle fish, and even one, supposedly extinct, Carrabin monk seal, who had booped him on the noise. All that, and, less than an hour had passed since he had ventured out from the cave.

“I’m going to be famous!” he giddied, tossing his hands in the, um, water. Blinking, he let out a gleeful laugh and started to twirl around in joy. Then his stomach started to rumble.

“Ah,” he groaned, rubbing his belly. “The flaws of the flesh. Oh well.” He looked around at the abundant life of the reef he had stumbled into. “Not as if I have a shortage of food. Now let’s see.” As fun as chasing and eating a raw fish sounded, Dusk settled instead on a colony of mussels.

“Where’s a clam opener when you need one?” he grunted, tying to pry open the clam with both hands. When that didn’t work, he switched to a more brutal, but effective method of hitting the little bugger with a rock.

“Sometimes the most basic methods are the best,” he mused as bits of shell drifted away from the meat.

“Now then,” licking his lips, Dusk picked up the pink blob, and started to bring it towards his mouth.

Suddenly, something slammed into his side. Sending the mussel sailing out into the water where a fish hastily snatched it up. Before Dusk could have the chance to wonder if he had just become the victim of a shark attack, someone screamed at him;

“What the hell is wrong with you?! Are you out of your mind, or do you just have some kind of death wish?”

Blinking, he turned to see his ‘savor,’ was a blue haired girl, about his age if he had to guess. Now, while it probably shouldn’t have surprised Dusk as much with the day he had been having, he still found himself staring dumbfoundedly at her blue tail. Which to his luck, seemed to be, whatever she would of said to address both of them at once, the equivalent of, if not quite the same as a human man gawking at a woman’s butt or chest, was somewhere in the middle of that comparison. Judging from the way she jerked her tail back and forcing Dusk to focus on her blushing face.

It took Dusk a moment to recall words were a thing. Then he needed another one when he realized the mermaid in front of him was using words from a culture she shouldn’t have understood. Then another to realize he could hear her as clearly underwater and he could on land. Then he took an additional serval moment to ask himself what priorities were supposed to be anymore. By then, the mermaid let out a annoyed huff at Dusk’s lack of a response.

“You’re welcome,” she said, crossing her arms against her red seashell bra.

“Um… thanks.” he said. Shaking his head and trying again to sound sincere with that. Only, this time, to think that he had no idea why he should have been thanking her. “Hey! What was that for?” he asked, holding onto his side where she rammed into him. “I don’t recall doing anything bad to you.”

The girl raised an eyebrow. “What? You didn’t know mussels are poisonous or something?”

As a matter of fact, he knew for certain that mussels, at least these kinds, were not poisonous to humans. Saying that to himself made him realize how close he likely came to having a very unpleasant evening.

“Oh! Um, I guess I didn’t. Thanks.” He rubbed the back of his neck as the girl continued to stare quizidly at him. “So,” he stared, only for the camera he had strapped around his wrist to lightly tap him on the face.

At that, the girl forgot about having saved his dumb ass, to complete fixation with the camera.

“Oh wow! What is that?” She squealed, darting forward and taking Dusk by the wrist to better inspect the camera. Oblivious to the idea of such an invasion of a person personal space might be an issue, let alone when her shell cover chest started to rub up against, a now, red faced merman.

“Wait, is this a camera? And it works underwater?!” Fortunately, Dusk was in too much of an uncomfortable situation to get mad when the camera made a clicking sound. “I’ve heard about these but never thought I’d see one that was functional!!” She smiled ear to ear, before something stared to register in her mind. Accelerated by the the feeling of condensed water being spat into her cleavage.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry!” she laughed nervously, backing away, looking downwards. “I’ve been told by more than a few people that I can get overly excited at finding something new.”

“It’s,” Dusk Dusk heaved. Shaking his head and once he got his blushing under control, said, “No really, it’s fine.” Despite the situation, he couldn’t help but laugh at a bit of irony. “You know, my friends say I’m the exact same way.”

The girl looked up optimistically at him? “For realzies?”

“Yeah! For,” he caught himself. Wondering how much he should, and shouldn’t, tell her about himself. While it cliché, and would probably backfire later, it seemed like a better idea to keep the fact he, had been anyways, a human. Not knowing if mermaid culture demand all humans had to be killed on the spot or something.

“So whered you find it?” Sonata fortunately asked about the camera. No, wait! How was he supposed to safely answer that?”

“Um, well, I, found it, and I, was looking to... To see if there was anywhere around here for it to be traded!”

For someone so smart, Dusk could be a real idiot at times. Although the fact he knew that had to count for something. Sure enough, the idea of his camera, and all the precious photos within, was for sale, caused the girls eyes to light up.

“Awesome!” She radiated. “What you wanting for it?”

Nervously, Dusk answered, “Well, er, what would you be, um, be willing to trade for it?” He lightly chuckled, hoping she would say something like five starfish to which he would go, ‘oh so sorry! I’m looking for thirty five!’

Instead, the girl put a finger to her chin in thought. “Hum... Well, I actually don’t have anything on me right now. However,” she started to look him up and down, then smirked. “If you help me with some hunting, I’ll take you back to where I rest and show you what I’ve got.” she concluded with a wink.

Dusk gulped. Which caused the mermaid’s eyes to widened in horror as she thought he thought what he did think she might of meant by that.

“I didn’t mean! That’s not... Don’t you get any ideas!” she said, pointing a finger and advanced in him. “I’m not that big of a guppy just because I’m a human geek!” She pointed a finger at him.

“No, no! Not at all!” Dusk shrieked, holding up his hands in a defensive position. Why was it that every human woman he meet had the idea his only end goal was sex? Go figure that it extended all across the evolutionary tree as well.

The girl let out a nervous chortle to Dusk’s reaction, kicking several paces back. “Hehe, right. Of course!”

“So,” Dusk added, breaking up the awkward silence that fallowed. “You mentioned about getting something to eat?”

He realized once again, that this could turn into another great problem solution senario. While he had zero intention of parting with the camera, he did have serval other human nicknacks he would gladly part with in exchange for a guide.

“I mean, if I was dumb enough to not know clams could kill me, who knows what else I don’t know?” he said in a bad acting tone. “Guess I could use some help since, um, I’m not from around here?” He spoke that last part quietly, before liking and going with it. “Yeah! Not from around here. Good thing I found such a lovely guide in my time of need.”

The girl titled her hat at that, and from the way she was looking up at down at him, he was worried he’d just blown it.

“Sure thing!” To his relief, she said suddenly and with a cheerful disposition. “If you can keep up with me.” She playful winked, she took off before he could react. And while something felt off, seeing as he wasn’t in much a position to protest, swam after her.

Author's Note

Clop to be in next chapter. Also, apologizes if the last chapter was a little dull (based on the amount of comments received). Debated having the whole story in one go, or at least combine this and chapter one. In the end, I decided to go this route with four chapters after talking with my proof reader and artist Crazy (current cover art not his, it’s coming) suggested this was was the better route. Which turned out fine by me as I can see more people in the long run (myself included) re-reading this chapter as opposed to the last. And while I said bia-daily at first, I’m waiting to see how far Crazy is on the Art before posting too much more (will be by next, promise) I also wanted II out now so I could have something a little more proud to show off and advertise to other groups before my weekend job starts.
Anyways, enough of this! Let’s get on with the story. Feel free to like a comment ❤️
Also, will move this to the bottom later, just felt like this was needed for those who started reading when there was only chapter one to base their opinions on ^^’