Riley flared her gliders and hovered in the open water as she watched the massive school of sardines race by in a steady, swirling stream. “Are you ready?” she inquired. They had been hovering there for only a few heartbeats and already the anticipation of a hunt was swelling in her gut. She glanced over at Katie, whose body language answered Riley’s inquiry. Her features were set in a grim line, but her posture was loose; she was not likely to back out of the challenge any longer.

Katie offered no verbal response, but she nodded. Riley swung her hand out and gestured for Katie to make the first move. Heartbeats later, they were plunging into the mass of fish. Riley caught one easily, sinking her fangs deep into the flesh and cracking the spine sharply with a savage jar of her lower jaw. While sardines were more of a snack than a meal, she hung back after the initial catch. She was far more interested in observing Katie’s efforts. To her surprise, she was not doing poorly. Katie had this strange tendency to claw at the water as she swam, and Riley wondered if it was lingering instinct from how she might have swum when she was human. Despite that, she was showing off some more agility – Riley was impressed with her raw talent for it, though she still needed a bit more practice to refine it – and easily wove with the sharp turns the panicked fish made in a frantic attempt to escape. She was keeping up well with the school and did not seem to require any aid, so Riley was content to leave her to it.

She stuck close however; they were not the only Mer hunting the school. The small hunting party that was currently corralling the fish was not large enough to be feeding an entire pod – else they may have had an issue – so there was plenty to go around and share, but she still wanted to make sure that Katie was not caught in a conflict. The girl lacked the ability to properly read body language and social cues in order to diffuse a problem.

Another Mer darted by Riley, forcing her to pull up short. It was tight quarters with the group of them moving out of sync as the school began to dissolve and scatter.

In her moment of hesitation, Riley nearly missed the situation that happened next – and was unable to call out a warning – as Katie veered sharply after a chosen fish, barreling through the school after it and colliding with another Mer she clearly had not noticed behind the mass of silver bodies. Riley winced as they hit in what looked like a painful head on crash. The force knocked them both away from the school and down several paces in the water.

Riley dove after them, pulling up short beside Katie who was wincing and rubbing her forehead. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” Katie groaned before they both turned to focus on the other Mer. She was a ragged type – littered with more scars than Riley bore – and looked furious, with a curled lip and bristling posture. The sharp spikes that ran the sides of her tail and torso flexed and her crimson fin lashed back and forth through the water. It was missing a decent divot – certainly enough to throw her swimming off balance, and the jagged tips looked like they were probably still sensitive despite how old the wound appeared to be. Her scales were dark, but vivid, a rich brownish purple shade that almost looked more like ink when she moved. Paired with a massive plume of midnight hair and pale skin, the Mer had an intimidating appearance. What unnerved Riley the most was the jagged scar that cut across the left side of her face, directly through the eye, which had dulled to a milky white. She was almost certainly blind in that eye, which may have explained why she failed to dodge Katie’s unintentional assault. The other eye – a vivid turquoise – shone with a burning rage.

“It was an accident,” Riley said. “We do not want to fight.”

The other Mer scoffed and bared her fangs prominently. “Right, first you interrupt our hunt, then your incompetent companion over there attacks me; but you do not want to fight.”

“Hey!” Riley barked back. “Back off! No one was hurt, there is more than enough fish to share. She did not mean to hit you; just let it go.”

When the other Mer growled in response, Riley matched her pitch. She did not actually wish to fight but would if she had to.

The other Mer was not alone, and her two companions drifted down to flank her. The one who had accidentally cut Riley off eyed them suspiciously. He sported blonde hair and pale lime scales, with a darker set of tail fins that stirred the water with every stroke he made to stay aloft. He looked just as reluctant to fight as Riley felt, so her attention shifted to the other.

His black hair bobbed around his shoulders in the current, gaze hardened as he glanced her over as well. His shoulders – as well as his arms from the elbows down – were plated in dark indigo scales. His tail was similarly coated in the dark, thick armor. As they travelled lower on the tail, the scales grew gradually darker until they became as inky as his hair. In contrast, his fins were a soft sky blue with prominent ice pale veins flowing through them. Two smaller spiked pectorals protruded just above the base of his tail and were mirrored by identical fins along his forearms.

The three had the potential to be a formidable group and Riley knew aggression was not the best avenue, despite how naturally it came. She would not be able to win that battle and Katie could get seriously injured as well.

The darker scaled male wrapped an arm around the girl and pulled her closer and pressed his nose against her jaw. “Serena, are you alright?”

Some of the tension slipped from Serena’s posture and she angled her head to nuzzle him back. “Yes,” she muttered. “Just a pair of idiots stirring up a conflict.”

The male’s eyes narrowed further, and he glared back evenly at Riley. “Is there a problem?”

“Not unless you start one,” she grumbled.

“We did not start it,” Serena growled.

“Serena, Xavier, if it was an accident then maybe we should just get back to hunting,” the blond boy suggested. Riley dipped her head at him in appreciation. He clearly did not want a conflict either.

For a moment, Xavier looked like he might back off as well. He turned his attention away from Riley and hugged Serena a little closer. Then he frowned and brought a hand up to her face. Serena winced slightly as his fingers brushed over a bruise rapidly forming across the side of her face where she and Katie had connected. Instantly his gaze whipped back, and he snarled.

Riley sighed and shook her head. She had not experienced it to know, but she wished the bond mates shared did not lead to irrational reactions.

Katie then drifted forward, sorrow in her gaze and similar discoloration beginning to mar her features as well. “I am really sorry, I-”

Riley cut her off by grabbing her arm and shaking her head. Katie’s voice was warbled with concern and it would only create more issues if she reverted to her preferred English. “Look, we are not out here to cause a problem. This was a misunderstanding. Katie is new to hunting and trying to learn; she made a mistake, nothing more.”

The confusion that stretched across all three faces made Riley tense. She had never cared for judgement; not of herself or others. There was no need for it.

“What pod are you from that they do not teach hunting until the end of adolescence?” Serena’s tone was more suspicious than judging and Riley reluctantly swallowed her displeasure.

“Umm…” Katie trailed off, and sympathy blossomed in Riley’s heart. This was not the type of first impression she wanted her people to make on her new friend.

In the face of Katie’s hesitation, Riley spoke up again. “She is not part of a pod; Katie was raised on land. She was held captive until recently and has spent less than a moon in the ocean over her life,” she explained, picking her words carefully to avoid further outbursts. “She is still learning how to fend for herself.”

“I really am sorry,” Katie added. She rubbed her arm and shifted uncomfortably. Her fin flicked to keep her steady. “I did not even really know any of you were there; I should have been more careful.”

Riley finally began to relax as she watched the tension leave Serena, who previously she deemed the deciding factor of a brawl. It was clear by the history painted on the other girl’s marred form that she had been through an ordeal or two of her own.

“You should have,” Xavier agreed. His tone had softened, though he still held Serena close as though he expected Katie and Riley to lash out at any moment.

“But it was an accident,” Serena conceded. “You should be more careful. Most of us do not appreciate taking the brunt of a headbutt like that.”

“Trust me,” Katie replied, her hand coming up to rub at the side of her face. “I do not plan on doing it again; it was not pleasant for me either.”

Serena chuckled and shook her head. “I would believe it.”

The third – still unidentified – member of their group grinned widely and jerked a hand back behind them where the school of sardines were rapidly funneling out of the area. “We had better get going to catch back up and get back into the fray. You two want to come with us?” he offered.

Riley snorted as both Serena and Xavier snapped their attention to their comrade with less than thrilled expressions. It was clear they had no desire to have them along.

“Janong!” Serena hissed in a low tone, though she clearly knew Riley and Katie would still hear her.

“What?” the boy asked, his expression twitching into a frown. “There is plenty to go around, we just have to be a bit more careful around the new hunter.”

“I am not so sure that is a good idea,” Xavier pressed. “We are better as a trio.” His gaze slid back to Riley with an almost regretful shrug of his shoulders. It was an awkward situation and while he clearly wished it was a more private conversation, he was not apologetic in his decision – they did not want them around. It was fair; Riley did not expect them to be welcoming after the previous incident – accident or no – and could not blame their reluctance to tolerate a joined hunting party.

Deciding to spare them any more of the awkward conversation, she shrugged. “Thank you for the offer – Janong was it? – it is kind, but I think it would be best if we held off on further lessons until another time. Sorry about interrupting your hunt, I hope it is prosperous.”

Janong’s shoulders slumped and his grin dropped into a disappointed frown. “Alright,” he sighed. “Maybe another time; group hunting can be fun.”

Riley shook her head and pursed her lips. She did not anticipate his group welcoming them regardless of how skilled or poor hunters they were. “Perhaps,” she responded out of politeness. She had not hunted in a team in a long time and was not certain she desired it any more than Serena and Xavier seemed to want to trust Katie and her to join them.

She twitched her fins and cocked her head. Really, she admired the group. They were close knit, slow to trust but clearly depended on one another. Serena and Xavier had twined their tails during the conversation – they were clearly a mated pair and close friends with Janong as well. She was glad they had a good group – it was not always easy to find when striking out on one’s own; Riley knew from experience.

“Well, good luck with the training,” Xavier offered with a wave.

“At least you know you can stun the fish with your skull,” Serena quipped. The comment could have been offensive, if it hadn’t been for the temporary relax of her stern exterior as she winked her one good eye at Katie.

“Bye,” Janong said.

“Bye,” Katie parroted. Riley frowned at the somber tone in her voice. Had something upset her?

The other three were already turning away, so Riley twisted around to place a hand on Katie’s shoulder and turn her back the way they had come. “Are you alright?” she inquired as they began the swim home at a slower pace than Riley had urged them forward at earlier.

Katie’s fin strokes were sluggish and her posture was slouched. It was creating drag in the water and Riley struggled to match the slow, awkward pace.

“I’m sorry,” Katie sighed in English. “I screwed up; I nearly caused a fight.”

Riley caved and followed her back into her preferred tongue. “No, Katie; you did really well; you tracked that school perfectly. You just need a little more work on expanding your senses. They were not quite as bad as they appeared – just a little rough and distrusting. I am not quite so different.”

Katie’s brows furrowed and she cocked her head. “You do not seem so distrusting to me,” she countered. “We’ve only known each other like two weeks.”

Riley paused to consider the human measurement of time, worked it to roughly half a moon, and nodded in agreement. It had been less, but it was not so much the time that was prevalent in Katie’s point. “That is different. You are not hard to trust, for one, and I have never felt so at home as I do with your family; I trust you all because I know that none of you would do anything to harm the others,” Riley admitted. “And besides, someone has to help you learn these skills. Today you fumbled, but you showed real ability, and you did start to trust your instincts rather than be controlled by them. Did you feel it? You will be a Mer to be reckoned with before too long.”

Katie grinned and nodded. “You know, you’re actually pretty good at the whole pep talk thing.”

Riley shook her head. “Well, I cannot exactly have you moping about, now can I?” she quipped.

The taunt pulled a grin across Katie’s lips and the other girl scoffed. “Nah, I’ve seen through you. You act tough, but you’re all soft and sweet in the center.”

“What did you say?” Riley countered with a low hiss and a quirked eyebrow.

Katie stuck her tongue out between her fangs and crossed her eyes. “You heard me,” she shot back. She flicked her fin hard and shot ahead, startling Riley. “Come on, softie,” Katie called back over her shoulder. “Your turn; catch me if you can.”

Riley scoffed in response. Her eyes narrowed with the challenge and she flared her gliders, forcing them back to give herself an additional boost of speed as she shot after her friend. “Hardly much of a challenge,” she called up as she quickly began to gain on Katie.

Katie laughed aloud and brought her arms up, pushing them back to her sides and repeating as she clawed at the water, her tail lashing steadily in her efforts to keep her ahead.

Riley was impressed to see her already utilizing the swimming techniques that she had shown her earlier. Despite her desire to tackle her friend to the sand and declare herself the victor of the challenge, Riley forced herself to slow slightly. Katie was laughing and enjoying herself, and Riley did not want to risk disheartening her by catching up too quickly.

The sentiment did not last when Katie glanced back over her shoulder to make another quip. “Come on slowpoke; I thought you would be faster than this. There’s no way I’m out-swimming you.”

Riley growled playfully and caught up in another stroke of her fins. She shot up to keep pace with Katie, flipping on her back underneath her friend to grin up at her. “Fast enough for you?” she inquired before twisting back over and zipping ahead. Clearly all Katie had needed was a push to bring out her partially dormant Mer nature, because she was improving at an exponential rate and continued to keep decent pacing.

At the rate they were flying through the water, it did not take them long to reach the mouth of the cove once more, and Riley spread her gliders wide once more to pull herself to an abrupt halt. She glanced back at Katie, who was still decorated with a dark bruise. “The one time I take you out with me and you have to go and get banged around,” Riley sighed. “Sophie is going to strangle me. How about we just agree that you accidentally hit a rock, instead of a potentially hostile Mer?”

“You want me to lie to my mother?” Katie clarified.

Riley grinned reluctantly. “Not lie specifically, just…help me keep my scales?”

Katie rolled her eyes and shook her head. “No, never a good idea. Come on,” she refused before swimming up over Riley and continuing towards the dock.

Riley groaned before reluctantly following her. She was going to get another lecture for sure. The worst part was she did feel guilty. She should have been watching better. Katie was hardly going to perish over a bruise and did not seem overly put out by it, but it still should not have happened.

Reluctantly, she surfaced alongside Katie, shaking her bangs out of her face to keep dripping water out of her eyes.

Katie had already pulled herself out of the water and was perched on the deck. She slapped a hand down on the hair tie that Riley had left there and began to pull her fingers through her wet hair in order to pull it back again. Riley snorted and rolled her eyes, and received a small wave of water to the face in response. She sneezed and shook her head, spitting out a bit of water before shooting a glare up at Katie – who was grinning unapologetically. Riley chuckled in response.

They both looked up when the glass back door slid open and Sophie stepped out onto the deck. She had one hand up to shield her eyes from the afternoon sun, now high in the sky.

Her face lit up when she turned and saw the two, Katie still sitting on the deck, Riley leaned against it with her arms folded. She raised an arm and waved. “You’re back!” she exclaimed as she hurried over. “How did it go? Did you- Katie! Are you alright, what happened?” Sophie’s tone morphed from excitement to worry as she knelt beside them.

“Mom, it’s okay. I’m alright, really. It was an accident. It doesn’t even hurt,” Katie explained. Sophie lifted a hand to touch the side of Katie’s bruised face and Katie winced and shied away. “Okay, it doesn’t hurt as long as you don’t poke it,” she protested as she gently swatted Sophie’s hands away.

Sophie chewed on her lip but held her hand away from Katie’s face. By the way it twitched, Riley guessed Sophie was resisting the urge to examine the bruise more closely once again. “What happened?” she repeated.

Katie shook her head. “Mom, really; it’s alright. Riley was teaching me how to hunt. I swam through a school of fish without being able to see what was on the other side and had a bit of a collision, but I’m okay.”

“It was my fault,” Riley spoke up finally. She grimaced and shrugged in Sophie’s direction. “I should have been watching her better.”

Sophie sighed and shook her head. “No, it’s no one’s fault. I’m just glad you’re both alright.”

There was a moment of silence that was quickly broken by the door opening again. Riley glanced up to see Lewis standing there, waiting for Luna to crawl out the door. She had clearly chosen to forgo the wheelchair with only the short distance to go.

Riley braced her palms on the deck and hauled herself the rest of the way out of the water to perch on the edge of the deck in time for Lewis to join them all, crouching beside Sophie and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Luna dragged herself over on Katie’s other side and Riley felt her heart swell.

Katie’s words from earlier still rang in her mind and she could not help basking in the warmth of their collective presence for a moment. She wanted to remain in that moment for a long time, but knew it was time to be on her way; she had a long swim ahead of her – and that would be the easy part.

“Time to go?” Sophie inquired. Her voice was terse and strangled, and Riley half expected the woman to try to stop her.

Riley nodded. “I cannot linger any longer,” she agreed ruefully. She had never anticipated having to see her pod again and she was not looking forward to stirring up painful old memories.

“Just be safe, please,” Sophie pressed. “We can figure something else out if necessary; don’t take any risks.”

Riley dipped her head in agreement.

“Safe travels,” Katie added. She leaned sideways to bump their shoulders. “You still have to teach me some of those acrobatics I’ve heard about.”

Lewis clapped a hand down on her shoulder next and Riley started, her gaze whipping back to meet his. She wished he would stop doing that. “I’ve checked the data feed a few times; your new tracer is fully operational, so we shouldn’t have anymore surprises,” he said. Riley did not quite grasp what he was saying, but nodded along anyways; he would make sure she understood what she needed to. “The protective shell should hold up fine, but just in case; try not to crash into anything out there.”

Riley nodded her agreement. That was all she really needed to know. “I will be careful; thank you, Lewis. I will be back as soon as I can, but it may take me a little while. It is best not to expect me back before the next moon.”

“Just be careful,” Sophie repeated as she wrapped her arms tightly around Riley from behind. Her warm breath tickled Riley’s neck, but she relaxed into the hug for a moment. “We’ll wait for you.”

When she finally pulled her arms back, Riley shifted her weight in preparation to dive back into the water. Just as she was about to launch off the wooden planks, Luna spoke up and stopped her. “Wait.” Luna’s tone was soft and hesitant, but Riley paused nonetheless. “Please do not go, Riley.”

Riley frowned and cocked her head, her bangs slapping against her neck as she moved. “What do you mean? I have to go; do you not wish to see your mother and father?”

At the question, Luna twisted away with tears brimming in her eyes. While one hand was bracing her up on the deck, the other curled around her torso in a half-hug and she began to chew on her lip. “I do,” she replied eventually, her voice quaking in her throat as she spoke. “I do, I just – I-I do not know if they would want to see me. I am not who they must remember.”

For a few heartbeats, Riley could not come up with something to say, finding herself too stunned by the announcement. Just how much self-loathing was festering within her young cousin?

A quick survey showed that no one else seemed overly stunned, but they all moved to offer their own versions of comfort to the girl.

Giving herself a shake, Riley leaned forward to beat them all to it. She met Luna’s gaze and held it, dipping her head. “You are right,” she agreed. “You are not the same little girl I knew years ago.” Luna tensed at the words and her gaze began to water as tears brimmed just beneath the lids. Riley heard Sophie’s sharp intake of breath and knew the woman wanted to correct her, but Riley held up a hand to stop her. “That much is true, but you are wrong if you think that means that your family would rather not know you.” Riley reached out and grabbed Luna’s hand, lacing their fingers together as she did. “No matter what you have endured, no matter how you have changed; you are still their daughter and they will be desperate for the chance to get to know you now.”

“How do you know?” Luna pressed. She tucked her head and Riley watched a tear roll down her cheek.

Riley sighed and reached out to lift Luna’s chin with a finger. She swiped the tear off her cheek and smiled. “Because I know them, and because I have been getting the chance to know you. You are not the disappointment you seem to think you are.”

Luna’s lip quivered and she hiccupped softly before lunging forward. Her arms wrapped tightly around Riley’s neck, her fingers curling so her nails scratched over the skin of her shoulder blades. Riley took a breath and then brought her arms up to hug the frail girl back. She squeezed gently and held her while Luna clung to her.

“It is okay,” Riley assured her. “I cannot imagine how frightening this has to be, but your mother and father are going to love you.”

Luna did not reply right away, but the soft quakes of her body and the wet droplets running down Riley’s back revealed the depth of her distress. Uncertain of how exactly to comfort her, Riley began to awkwardly pat her on the back.

“Riley?” Luna finally spoke up in a quaky voice.

“Yes?”

“Do you…Do you think they would be angry that I do not want to be called Kera?”

Riley took the confirmation to heart. She had imagined that was the reason everyone else had gone back to calling her Luna, but it was good to know for certain that it was her cousin’s desire. “It is just a name, Luna,” she responded finally. “They will understand if you do not want to keep it.”

Luna sighed and sniffled softly. “I want to want it,” she whimpered. “But I do not. It means nothing to me; I do not even remember once having it. I was alone for so long, in so much pain with nothing but memories that faded more and more every day. For a long time, I did not have a name, no one had called me anything kind in years. Katie did not give me a temporary name to answer to; she gave me an identity and it is the only one I have now. But I do not want them to think that means I do not want to be their daughter.”

The heavy sobbing had returned, and Riley gripped Luna by the shoulders to gently pry her away so she could look her in the eye. Her heart clenched at the sight of Luna’s broken expression, unable to imagine what the years had been like for her cousin. “Luna, choosing not to keep your birth name does not mean that.”

“Yeah,” Katie agreed. “I don’t go by Katherine. I prefer the nickname. And besides, you faced extenuating circumstances. I’m sure your parents will understand.”

“Of course, they will,” Lewis agreed.

Sophie reached forward and tucked a lock of Luna’s hair behind her ear. “And like I said before – in the worst-case scenario – you still have a home right here,” she promised. “Stop letting this eat at you.”

“But-”

Riley held up a hand to silence Luna’s attempt at a protest. “Riley is not my birth name,” she admitted.

“It isn’t?” Sophie inquired with a cock of her head.

Riley shook her head. “No. But Luna? Your mother was the first in our pod to accept my desire to change it. I was still so young that not too many took my wish seriously. But my Aunt Becca has always been immensely supportive and was more than happy to call me Riley. She will have no problems calling you Luna, I promise.”

Luna nodded, but worried at her lip a little. “I am nervous,” she admitted finally.

“I can tell,” Riley countered, giving the younger girl a friendly bump on the shoulder. “But you should not let your fears consume you; I will be back soon enough, and everything will be fine, you will see.”

With clear hesitation, Luna slowly nodded her head and forced a smile. “Okay,” she agreed. She raised a hand to wipe at her eyes. “I am sorry; you are going through immense trouble for me; I really am grateful.”

“I know,” Riley said. “But I do not mind.” Luna’s smile widened a little.

To fill the brief silence that then stretched, Sophie leaned forward with a curious grin on her face. “So, what is your real name?” she inquired.

Riley shook her head and stuck her tongue out. “Riley,” she pressed. “That is my real name, the one I choose. My birth name is irrelevant.”

Sophie frowned for a moment like she wanted to press further, but then she simply shrugged and sat back. “Riley suits you anyways,” she said finally.

Riley grinned and nodded. She appreciated that they were willing to hold their curiosity back; she did not like vocalizing her birth name, and it warmed her once again that this new family of hers was willing to simply accept her regardless of what details she chose not to offer up. She leaned forward and gave Luna one more quick hug and offered the rest of them a smile. “I do have to go now; I will be back soon.”

She did not wait any longer before twisting and diving off the dock with their echoed ‘goodbyes’ sounding behind her.

Once again, Katie’s statement rang in her head as she flared her gliders and lashed her fins. The girl was right; this was the family she chose to love, and they made the emotional hardships she was about to face worth it.