Luz Story: 100 Baby Challenge

Lianna's Backstory: Part Six


The next morning, Kalani awoke alone in her bed. Disappointed, she dragged herself out of bed, upset with herself for having such strong feelings for a man she had just met. As she walked out into the main room of the bungalow she heard faint humming, and the scent of caramelized fruit wafted through the slits in her open-air windows.







Kalani walked outside to find Dante setting up the table.
As she laid eyes on Dante, Kalani couldn’t wipe the grin off of her face. He sauntered up to her and lightly kissed her cheek. “Good morning Beautiful. I made breakfast.” Caught up in the romantic moment they’d been sharing since yesterday, Kalani and Dante flirted and laughed while they ate, as light raindrops from a sun shower dappled the turquoise water around them.





https://i.imgur.com/CbKluVE.png

After sharing a long kiss, Dante’s face fell and his distress was evident. “What is it?” she asked. “I…have to leave soon.” Dante could barely get the words out. He explained that his parents would be waking soon and that they were heading back to Forgotten Hollow today.

“Well, before you leave Dante, I want to show you something,” Kalani whispered mysteriously. He followed her down the beach to the water’s edge, where she stopped. Kalani turned to face him. “There’s something you should know about me…” she said cautiously. He nodded curiously.

Kalani placed one foot into the shallow surf, then began slowly walking into the water. As she did so, water began to swirl around her legs mystically, a phenomenon Dante had never seen before. Kalani dove into the water elegantly, and as she did a bright green tail flipped out of the blue sea. He had to blink repeatedly to make sure what he was seeing was real. Kalani swam through the sea as quick and graceful as a fish.

https://i.imgur.com/UOxXhOr.png





She was terrified to turn around and see his reaction; before she found the courage to do so, he was in the water right behind her, lightly touching her shoulder. Kalani turned around slowly, completely unsure of how Dante felt. Kalani’s hair cascaded wildly down to her shoulders, and shimmering yellow scales ran down her face. As she saw the warm, understanding smile on his face her fears melted away. “You’re so magnificent,” he spoke softly. “You aren’t afraid? Or disgusted?” she asked cautiously. Dante’s grin grew wider, and he grabbed her hand through the warm ocean water. He pulled her in for a slow kiss, wrapping his arms around this new body that was somehow still so clearly hers. He splashed her and they played in the water for a moment, before heading ashore on a small atoll just off the coast.





https://i.imgur.com/hJuaDvQ.png





Kalani magically transformed into the human-looking form he had known as she walked out of the water. Dante embraced her tightly for a long minute as grey clouds began to roll in. “I have a secret, too,” he whispered in her ear. Then he took a step back, closed his eyes and summoned his magic with a focused hand movement. As magical sparks flew around him, Kalani looked shocked. “Alakazam!” he shouted, pointing directly at her. As she jumped in surprise, Dante zapped a small bush behind her, laughing at his own prank. “You…have magic too?” Kalani asked, stunned. What were the chances that two completely different magical beings would meet and fall for one another? Dante chuckled, his free-spirited mindset not thinking much of this fact. “I’m a spellcaster. My whole family are spellcasters actually.” “I’ve never met anyone magical who wasn’t a mermaid like myself,” Kalani explained. They spent the next hour showing off their abilities and telling each other more about themselves, their true selves.

https://i.imgur.com/XfRqrnu.png







https://i.imgur.com/PPbsZkA.png

“Oh no, its really getting late now…” Dante’s brow wrinkled with worry as he noticed the sun rising higher into the sky. “You need to go,” Kalani said somberly. They swam back to her home in silence, both deeply saddened that this moment had to end. As they walked down the beach, Dante grabbed her hand urgently. “I will be back soon. I promise.” His eyes burned with sincerity, begging her to believe him. “It’s just that…my family can’t know about you,” he said very sternly. Kalani didn’t question why, just nodding with understanding. They came from very different worlds and she knew all about how people feared things that were different. “But I will be back,” he restated. She touched his face lightly, beaming with relief and joy. “You know where to find me; I’ll be waiting right here.” This time she pulled him in for one last kiss, and they lingered that way as long as they could. As Dante hopped on his jet ski to race back to his resort, Kalani watched longingly from the sand.



https://i.imgur.com/bJiEAJW.png