This story is intended to be fairly wholesome and intended for most viewers. However…
*There is a transgender transformation in this piece, affirming but lengthy.
*A merfolk/mermaid transformation is depicted.
*Mild profane language is used.

Embrace of the Ocean – Chapter 1
Cast Out

Wind roared. The cracks of thunder came so frequently, it did not echo. Rain hammered the home relentlessly, trying with so much might to force its way in. Waves pounded the hillside the home laid upon…

It was during this monster from the seas that a truth came out…

“Mom, dad… I-I feel like a girl on the inside. I’ve known this for years, but I haven’t been able to say anything,” said the young trans woman, crying as she did so, shaking. The storm had her scared, and she felt like it was now or never.

“Oh my gosh, sweetie, we’re so sorry!” said her mom.

“We should have done more to make you more comfortable… To be open with us sooner about this,” admitted the dad.

“G-guys, I-“

A tremendous wave hit the hillside. The house shook violently. Cracks formed in the kitchen floor where they stood, dividing the parents from their newly out adult child.

Her eyes darted up from the floor to them. She dove to reach their outstretched arms as they held onto the kitchen island with an inhuman grip. The floor and the walls ripped open as part of the hillside collapsed under the house, taking her part with it. She flung her arm out to try to grasp her parents’ hands…

She did not succeed.

She screamed in horror as she tumbled along with the collapsing section of the house, her parents’ cries drowned by the raging storm. She slammed onto the floor as the segment of the house rolled backwards as it slid downhill, flinging her high into the air towards the ocean. She flew nearly 50 feet into the raging waters. The impact with the water knocked her out cold.

Her parents could only watch, helpless, as the currents pulled their would-have-been daughter further out to sea…

======

Many cultures see the ocean as a living entity, a being that is a force to be reckoned with. Sometimes wild, untamable, unpredictable. At others, warm, inviting, calm, full of life.

There was one culture that believed all this and more. They did not live near it; they lived within it. Human-like beings with aquatic parts: merfolk. They knew the ocean better than any, and they knew it to be a living being all on its own. They shared in this being’s power, known to them as the magic of the Ocean (or in modern-day parlance, Ocean Magic). But for those who knew it best, none was more a master of it than the Ocean itself.

Andrea, as she wanted to one day be called, sunk into the depths of the sea, unconscious and only barely alive.

But amid this tempest, the Ocean’s outburst, it heard the confession. It felt the support she would have had, and its temper would end the beauty before it even came to be. It was at fault, but it knew of a way to save it, make it grow into something new… Master of the magic of the sea, it had done this many times before.

As Andrea’s body sank lower into the water, mini currents of water carrying unseen magic began to swirl around her. Magic seeped into her pores, touching every cell of her body. She was absorbing it. She was saturated with it, and before long, the first of many changes took effect: she began to breathe again.

The Ocean’s work was done. She was now a being of the Ocean. She would eventually be able to return to her life on land, with some changes, but for now, the magic had to slowly rearrange her, make her compatible…

Not just with the Ocean, but with herself.

=== 3 days later… ===

Andrea gasped, and she quickly realized water was in her mouth and throat. She began to hyperventilate as she feared she was drowning. But after a few seconds, she realized… She wasn’t? She was breathing underwater? How?

She pulled herself up. Sand fluttered about, its underwater fluid nature running through her fingers. She looked up and saw the surface of the water far above her. She could feel everything, from the flow of water to the sand she sat on. She was alive, somehow.

But then the memories of what happened flooded her mind, and she began to cry. She missed her parents, and she knew they were worried about her. They might have even thought her dead after all of that.

But she was alive. She was going to stay that way. No matter what. She was going to get home and give her parents a great big hug.

Fierce determination filled her eyes as she stood up and began to kick. She had always struggled with swimming before, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her from making it to the surface, to see what she could find.

Another surprise hit her then; not only was she effortlessly swimming now, but it was also like she knew how, second nature, even!

She burst from the waves and looked around. Water as far as the eye could see.

“Well… This isn’t good…” But Andrea was a thinker. She could navigate another way, maybe. The sun! She looked around to figure out where the sun was. She averted direct gaze as she tried to figure out what direction it was going. It seemed to be going to her left. That meant west. She had to swim the other way.

She started to paddle her way over when something dug into her mind.

Do not fight the waves. Dive. Work with the flow.

Huh? That sounded like my voice, but I’m not sure that was me… she thought. Still, I seem to be able to breathe water now, so maybe it’s onto something…

She followed this instinct and dove back under. Water filled her throat yet again, but like before, it was surprisingly soothing. The salt water of the Pacific didn’t even sting her eyes! She could see crisply under the water, colorful fish all around her. It was a sight to behold… And so was the shark.

She froze. Her gaze met the apex predator, which was already swimming her way. Fearful, terrified, and knowing it was coming for her, she waved it to pass by her out of panic as she braced herself. As she did, she unwittingly commanded the water itself, creating a powerful flow that dragged the shark away from her.

Realizing she hadn’t become food, she opened her eyes, not seeing the shark in front of her. She turned around to see the sea beast spiraling out of control, carried by a flow too powerful for it to swim in.

Well, that’s another lucky break! If this keeps up, I’ll make it home, safe and sound!

She swam for hours, not once getting tired. She was invigorated, full of energy. But as the lights above dimmed to orange after a long day of swimming, she knew night would be even more dangerous. She looked around and spotted a seafloor cave. She looked around for any occupants, but it seemed to be empty. She pulled herself in and curled herself up. She had no idea what was going on. Her miraculous luck, her seeming new abilities. But that was something she could figure out later. She had one goal on her mind right now:

Make it home.

-------

Zenna sensed the use of Ocean Magic from miles away. There was also a very strong signature of it a few days prior near that same area. An Adept, she was knowledgeable of and sensitive to Ocean Magic. It took years of training, but she was among the best of her kind.

Could it be? Had the Ocean given another human its powers? If so, she had to find them. The transformation from human to merfolk was slow, meticulous, fraught with surprises. Never mind if the ocean had found another one who crossed the gender boundary; those transformations were always longer and harder. She’d overseen a couple of them in the past ten years. She knew what to do.

She just had to find them first. But if they kept using magic, she could trace them. She just had to wait…

=======

Andrea woke up. Her chest was sore for some reason. And then came the inevitable noise she feared most.

Gurgle-grumble. Her stomach moved uncomfortably.

“Grrrreeeat. I’m hungry. How do I even get something to eat down here?”

She searched around. Seaweed came to her eyes first. She didn’t relish it, but she had to survive. She pulled a few pieces off, and slowly put them in her mouth. She cringed as a bitter, salty taste hit her taste buds.

“Ack, that’s not going to be easy to eat…”

She watched a bright fish swim by. Instinctively, she saw it as food, and she knew it wasn’t poisonous. How she knew, she didn’t know, but she didn’t care. It was fast, really fast, trying to evade her as she tried to snatch it a few times. “Oh, come here you little-“ she growled as she reached for it. On command, a small current pushed the fish into her face, knocking her back, doing a few backflips.

She peeled the dazed fish off her face. Here it was, food… Right?

“I really should find a way to cook this…” Her stomach growled. It looked so tasty, even as it was… “Oh screw it!” She shoved the little fish down and instinctively chewed. She felt her teeth scything through everything, even bone! She swallowed and coughed with horror at the realization.

“Th-the hell!?” She felt her teeth with her tongue, and she realized they were beyond sharp. Like shark’s teeth, expertly sharpened. She started feeling them carefully with her fingers when something even stranger began to happen: she could feel them changing! Before long, they were back to the human molars she knew.

“O-okay… Something is definitely happening to me…” she muttered as she hugged herself, worried. Was she… Even human, anymore? “I-I have to get to land. I have to get home! Maybe if I get back on land, this will stop… And I can be with mom and dad again…”

She started off for the sunrise. Something in her was giving a sense of direction. She felt like she was on the right course now, rather than guessing.

She didn’t realize, behind her a fair distance, she picked up a follower.

Zenna was keeping her distance. She heard the human’s commitment to getting home. She wasn’t going to stop…

You know, that one looks a bit… Ambiguous… Looks fairly male, but I see some hip development there… she noted. And that’s when a word instinctually popped up in her mind: her. Her Adept senses were picking up on all of her magic. She was transforming into a woman – a mermaid.

Ocean must have taken pity on her after drawing her away. Zenna knew this new person had a few days of swimming to make it back to land. It seems she was already developing a sense of direction like a merfolk, and she was instinctively using magic. Zenna had been nearby when she felt the newcomer draw the currents to deliver the fish to her.

This soon-to-be girl was already a merfolk, as far as the magic was concerned. But Zenna didn’t see a single scale on her legs… Yet. They were coming, as well as all sorts of biological changes. But she hoped that this newcomer did make it home in time… If she didn’t reach it fast enough, her developments could keep her from getting on land until she was “complete.”

Maybe… Maybe I should help her, Zenna thought. I’ll keep an eye on her from a distance, maybe make a current or two she could ride to get there faster…

=======

A new day dawned, and Andrea once again woke to her chest being sore and sensitive, way more so than the day before.

“Ack!” she cried, not noticing a crack in her voice along with it, “My chest is horrible today! The hell is going on!?” She could feel water currents through her shirt now. She tapped her chest through it, with a sharp pain to come with it. “AIE! I can’t even touch it!”

Then it dawned on her. That was identical to everything she read on breast development.

“No… Way… Could I be…?” She began to inspect her body more closely. Her hips were a bit wider, and her behind was rounder. She was changing! She was becoming feminine! But horror sank in; that could mean she wasn’t just becoming a woman; she might be becoming a fish woman, a mermaid!

“Nonononono! I can’t become a mermaid! I can’t be stuck underwater forever! I-I got to get home!” Desperation fueled Andrea’s frantic swim, her developing senses telling her where she needed to go.

Zenna popped out from behind a rock. She’d heard it all, and sighed. “Humans don’t have a clue how it works even still… Looks like we’ve got more work to do later…” She carefully swam behind Andrea, not wanting to let her know she was behind. But she felt Andrea’s panic.

She didn’t notice, but today, she had some remarkably favorable currents helping her on her way home…

=======

Andrea sat up, this time carefully inspecting her body. Reddish spots were forming on her legs now. If she hadn’t already pegged the fact she was transforming the day before, she would have thought these were rash spots or scabs. But she knew. Their slightly golden shine gave it away: they were scales. Pretty as they were, it meant that she was ever closer to a fate of underwater life forever.

There was a bittersweetness from the fact she could now see buds poking out from her shirt. She was unmistakably becoming a woman now, which was amazing, but she worried it was at the cost of life on land, away from supportive friends and family.

The scales weren’t the only worry: she was starting to see some bluish skin forming between her fingers and toes. Webbing was beginning to form.

She cradled herself in the cave. Could she already be too late? She hadn’t even been above water in a couple of days… Could she even breathe air anymore?

Andrea began to whimper as she cried. She didn’t want things to go this way. Especially with her parents’ reaction to her coming out. She knew they’d stand by her. But now, even as the most amazing thing came her way, she might not be able to share it with them.

Zenna had taken refuge nearby. She was startled up when she heard the whimpering. She had considered letting the new girl make it home “alone,” but it seems the transformation was getting to her. Zenna had to say something…

Andrea heard a knocking on the rocks nearby. That couldn’t be right, unless…

“I’m sorry to disturb you…” a soft voice called out. “My name is Zenna.”

“Are you… A mermaid?”

Zenna swam around the corner. Everything about a stereotypical mermaid appeared before her, save the tank top shirt and bikini top acting as her bra underneath - like a normal human. She had a long green tail that shimmered purple, the shine matching webbing in her hands and tail. Zenna nodded to Andrea’s question. “I sensed a presence that was using our magic. You. I’ve been following you for a couple of days, and when I realized how desperate you were to get home, I tried giving you a boost, some currents that cut your journey some…”

“M-magic? How?”

“It seems the Ocean took pity on you. You must have been swept out by the violent storm earlier. It’s as you suspected. You’re becoming a mermaid, a merfolk girl.”

“B-but I don’t want to be!” Andrea squeaked out, her voice jumping several octaves back and forth.

“You don’t need to worry. I’m what’s known as an Adept. I know the ways of Ocean Magic more than most. I overheard your fear of not being able to live on the land. Even when you’ve become one of us fully, you’ll still be able to go to land… It’ll be okay,” Zenna said in a reassuring tone.

“I-I will?”

“Yes, although if we don’t get you to land soon, your transformation will hamper your ability to get home for a time. It’s temporary, but I cannot tell you how long it would take for that phase to pass.” Zenna held out a webbed hand. “Let’s get you home…”

Andrea reached out and grabbed it. Zenna’s masterful swimming pulled Andrea out with haste, and she guided Andrea forward. The two of them together made travel even faster.

“So, have a name, newcomer?”

“I wanted to be Andrea…”

“You’re not the first to jump the boundary, as it were. Some even rest in an ambiguous place. Ocean Magic is reading who you are and shaping you into your desired form. Even the scales and webbing come from your desires.”

“So… Golden red and blue?”

“Must be!” Zenna suggested with a smile.

“Hang on, how can I walk on land after I transform?”

“Magic, but it’s not like your human tales…” Zenna stopped their progress and swam backwards for a moment. She closed her eyes and concentrated. A glow overtook her tail, blurring it until distinct legs formed, wrapped in a swim skirt matching her outfit. Although the glow faded, her legs were still distinctly covered in green scales, with purple-webbed toes. “As an Adept, I can show you this. For most others, it’s automatic upon coming to land or going into the water. And as you can see, we still have scales. It’s not so easy to hide…”

“Oh…”

“But we have found ways! And there are places where we can be ourselves on the surface! You’ll be able to live on the land again!”

“O-okay…”

Zenna’s tail remerged as she swam up to Andrea. “I know, this is scary and bewildering, but you can make it through this! And my kind can give you tips for going stealth among humans if you feel the need…”

“Heh, kind of like being transgender, in a way…”

“Not a bad way to look at it… But let’s get you home!”

The two of them pushed forward with haste, and the light above began to turn orange. Zenna motioned for Andrea to follow her up, and the two emerged at the surface. Andrea immediately spotted the faint shapes in the distance.

“Th-there it is! We’re so close!” Andrea cried.

“But it may take several more hours. It will be night for some of that, and the Ocean is beautifully dangerous, especially to an underdeveloped transformee such as yourself. We’ll have to rest. We’ll make it there in the morning…”

Andrea sighed. “Fine. One more night in a sea cave.”

“I’ll go grab some seaweed and kelp. Makes it a little more comfortable.”

=======

Andrea stirred awake. Zenna had curled up next to her. She was surprisingly cute, even if Andrea didn’t really have feelings for her like that. But she was strangely starting to wonder about mermen now… But then again, she was becoming a mermaid. She’d always preferred men, but now she was becoming female to boot.

That reminded her to check. It seems her chest was stubbornly growing slowly. Barely any progress from the day before. “Oh, come on, grow, goddamnit!” she growled at her own body.

This stirred Zenna up. “Huh? Something wrong?”

“Ah, no, it’s just my chest isn’t really growing right now…”

“Oh, that. It’ll come in time, don’t worry!”

Andrea then checked other parts of her body, including looking past her clothes at things she hadn’t considered. She smiled particularly wide after a peek into her shorts… But mermaid features were also progressing, some more webbing and scales. She whimpered again as things were getting closer…

“We’re almost there, okay? And I will help you if you have some struggles on land,” Zenna reassured her. “Besides, the ‘stuck underwater’ thing is only temporary.”

“H-how does that work?”

“Breathing air becomes increasingly harder. You’ll be able to suffice with any water for a time, but you’ll increasingly need natural saltwater to breathe. Your legs will begin to betray you. When they become numb and feel like lead on land, you need to get to the water to finish your transformation. That could take days… Or months.”

“M-months!?”

“But after your legs fully fuse and reshape to a merfolk tail, your transformation is complete, and you’ll be able to go on land again! I can guide you through all of it! And maybe your family or friends, whomever you’re trying to reach can help too…”

“M-my mom and dad. I came out to them just before the house was ripped open and I was dragged out to sea.”

“Alright, we don’t have far. Let’s get you to them! I’m sure they’ll love what’s happening to you!”

Andrea blushed as she grabbed Zenna’s hand. Each day, her swimming got even stronger. She was even starting to sense the magic she now had, and she tried using it to propel them. Zenna corrected Andrea’s mistakes, but she could see Andrea being at least above average in the use of Ocean Magic – she was proving very talented!

After a couple of hours of swimming, they arrived at the shoreline. They swam by the coast for a few minutes until Andrea recognized something in the water: her parents’ oven! That was in the part of the house she fell in! They were close! Andrea popped out of the water to see the house, minus about a third of it, still there! Damaged sections were blanketed with tarp.

She dashed for the home. “Mom! Dad! I’m home!” she cried out, her voice resting on a low feminine tone.

Her parents opened up a window. They looked out to see… It was hard to tell what had happened to her (other than she was soaking wet), but they still were able to recognize her.

“M-my child!? You’re alive!” her dad cried out.

“Sweetie!” cried her mom as she rushed to hug her daughter.

She embraced Andrea, not realizing what was happening with her. She pushed up against Andrea’s sensitive chest, with sharp, jabbing pain filling Andrea. “Ow! Ow! Ow! Easy on the hugs, mom, my body’s really sensitive right now!”

She pulled back and looked down. Indeed, two lumps were lightly pushing her chest out. “Oh my gosh, sweetie! You’re… You’re…”

“I’m not sure what’s happening, but I am changing, and more than just to a girl… I’m…” Andrea started feeling light-headed. “Oh…” She started wheezing. “No… Not now… Water… Please, a bowl of it…” She braced herself with the side of the house. She couldn’t catch her breath. She was just fine a moment ago!

“Honey!” her mom started.

“On it!” said her dad as he was already rushing inside. Moments later, he was out with it.

Andrea dove her head into the bowl and started breathing in the water. She could finally breathe again. She pulled her head out of the bowl. “Phew… I’m already that far along…”

“What do you mean?” her parents asked.

Zenna caught up to them. “I can explain. Your daughter here is undergoing a merfolk transformation. The Ocean took pity on her and filled her with its power. She’s getting the body she always wanted, but as one of my kind…”

They looked down and saw her scaly legs. She also had webbed hands. She certainly wasn’t hiding it. They then looked at Andrea’s legs, showing some spots of gold-shimmering red scales. There was blue forming between her fingers and toes, some webbing.

“Oh my gosh…” they muttered.

“The process is tricky. I can fully breathe air, but as she’s transforming, she will become increasingly dependent on saltwater to breathe, at least until her transformation is complete. She can tolerate air for a while, and tap water can fill her needs when she needs it. But soon, only saltwater. And she will increasingly struggle on land until her legs fuse. Once her tail is complete, she’ll be able to come on land again with no problems, like me. But in her case, she’s also becoming a woman like she wanted to, hence the sensitive chest.”

“Oh my… Sweetie, this is amazing!” her mom gushed, kissing her on the cheek.

“Oh, now that we have you back, what do you want us to call you?” her dad asked.

“Andrea.”

“It’s a wonderful name! Welcome back home, our sweet Andrea!” her mom gushed.

Overwhelmed, she cried into her mom’s arm, happy to finally be seen for who she was. At least, she did until she struggled to breathe again. She dove her head into the bowl again. After a few breaths of cool water, she pulled back out. “Gosh, this is embarrassing…” she muttered, blushing.

“It’s whatever you need, Andrea…” her father suggested.

“We’re here for you, sweetie. We don’t want to lose you again!” her mom cried.

“I can help too. I’m sure I can call up my place of work up north and tell them what’s going on to get the time off to help out. After all, I found her. I have a responsibility to help,” Zenna suggested.

Andrea’s father raised a brow. “You work somewhere?”

“I can explain later. What’s key right now is Andrea’s health. Unfortunately, sleeping in her bed – especially with her needing water to breathe – isn’t an option…”

“Not more sea caves…”

“No, wait!” Andrea’s father pointed out down the hill. “The pool! It slid downhill intact! Maybe we can fill it with saltwater, pump it somehow… Then, we build around it, make it comfortable for Andrea…”

“Thanks, dad!” Andrea gushed.

“I think I know some who might be able to help…” Zenna suggested.

“Oh?” all three of them asked.

“I… I work for a jointly run secret facility to the north. Citadel Harbor University. All sorts of human and non-human magic folks work there, including myself and other merfolk. I can give them a call to come down here and help repair the house and make a safe place for Andrea’s transformation,” Zenna explained.

“University? They’re not going to-“

“Study her? No, we’ve already had willing volunteers help out with that in the past. We know about all we need. But they’re always willing to lend a hand to those in need. This should be one of those times.”

“Alright. We’ll make sure we have a bowl ready for you, sweetie. Make the call, err…”

“Zenna. Mermaid Ocean Magic Adept at your service,” she said with a bow.

CHAPTER 1 END

By CrystalSeaDragon44