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 3
The Long Haul

Andrea and her parents couldn’t believe their house had quadrupled in size over a single day! The team from Citadel Harbor University had pulled it together before her parents returned for the evening (although some of the paint was still drying). And not only that, but it also looked good and functioned well for a normal house! (Never mind that they also made it so sturdy, it could very well take a tank shot and be okay.)

And that was the normal stuff. The house had four levels now: a first floor, a second floor, a basement/beach-level floor, and crucially, Andrea’s “mermaid suite,” a vast waterproofed series of rooms with an entrance from the basement pool. It spanned under the whole house and some into the hillside past the front of the house. Filtered and sanitized ocean water was pumped into and throughout the underground complex. (It also had a series of failsafe tunnels just in case some unforeseen disaster trapped Andrea inside – the team spared no expense to make sure this place was safe.)

The mermaid suite also had a wide array of advanced and prototype tech, from waterproof digital devices and lighting to custom made furniture, so when Andrea was inevitably trapped within water by her transformation, she could at least interact with the outside world, either by intercoms or online interaction, and be comfortable. While it couldn’t be decorated with normal walling and flooring, the merfolk spent a good deal of time and effort to ensure these chambers were gorgeous, with intricate art and designs made from waterproof tile and glass. And she of course had to have a place to sleep, the ironic choice being a weighted water mattress in her new underwater bedroom. (Most of the other furniture was designed the same way.)

As for Andrea, the weeks passed by. Her body changed more and more. By the time September 4^th rolled around, she just felt it: her transformation into a woman was finally complete. As the friend group wondered when Ariel might pop up, Andrea knew she was going to be in for a shock when she finally saw Andrea’s quick progress; a slightly smaller frame adorned with shocking d-cup breasts, more than anyone else in her family. Her hips and rear were proportionally balanced with them. “Bombshell,” was the term she often got. After meeting with her friends after the transformation had begun, she decided to keep her gray hair short; Kaylee was right, she could rock that look! No one was mistaking her for a boy ever again.

But the mermaid transformation? It took its dear sweet time, even after her gender change was complete. She was increasingly dependent on saltwater to breathe, now preferring to spend her time underwater rather than stick a cup to her face every other minute. Still, she tried her best to spend as much time as she could with her parents in-person, knowing they’d be out of reach once she was fully water-bound…

Then it happened. Roland excitedly told them that Ariel came his way the second weekend after the 4^th! And she was, despite a power he could feel radiating off of her, exactly the same person everyone remembered, if more confident.

Additionally, the group had a new fifth member in Kit Mecha-ala, the robot girl that got Kaylee through the doors of the supernatural world. With her around, they decided to make a server just for them to talk to each other in, just in case even more came their way from their ever-increasing[ly weird] circle. Kit was energetic and lively; she was so human that everyone kept forgetting in chats that she was something else!

Despite her increasing entrapment, Andrea looked forward to what was coming now. Despite her frustrations, everything was looking hopeful! The time was coming that the five of them would finally get a chance to talk for the first time…

=======

Andrea grumbled as her bikini straps floated away from her. It didn’t help when she bumped them with her hand webbing, and they floated away from her hands again. She never imagined one day she’d be wearing a bikini top for support and modesty, but a regular bra doesn’t cut it underwater. Metal hooks and underwires just weren’t going to last.

Eventually, she was able to secure it with a bow on her front, and she slipped a waterproof shirt over it. She still couldn’t believe merfolk spun quality shirts like this from discarded shopping bags…

She checked her legs. She estimated she had about 60 percent scale coverage now. Pretty much her entire hips and behind were covered, but her legs were still spotty. Meanwhile, webbing for her toes was growing in tandem with the toes themselves. Another week of this kind of progress, and she might as well call them flippers. Then again, when fusion began, they’d become her tailfin. She was still able to walk on them, but it was getting a little awkward, especially since shoes didn’t fit her feet anymore. She was stuck barefoot around the house.

It didn’t matter in the mermaid suite, though! She could use them for swimming around in her own personal merfolk playground. The pretty tile, the shells, the glass; the merfolk team behind it really outdid themselves!

But today was important. With some luck, everyone was going to be on today! Kaylee, Kit, Roland, who were kept up with her progress, and Ariel. She knew she wanted to do a video call today, to see the missing girl for the first time in over a year.

She swam over to her media center. She had a fun control console in front of her, like a supervillain’s keyboard for their master control system. Before her was a massive 70-inch screen display, a massive thing for bingeing all sorts of new shows or just fawning over cat videos all day long. She powered it on and used the unique ball pad to get the chat app opened up. She pulled up a chair and waited patiently for the others to pop on.

Kit was first, punctual per usual. Kaylee arrived shortly after, and Roland joined them soon after. Andrea tapped her fingers nervously waiting for that last one… But then, “Ariel” became “GenieAriel” and was online! It was finally happening!

Andrea: Hey, everyone! How’s my favorite land walkers?
Kit: Great! Snacking on a hot dog at the moment!
Kaylee: Had your first one just before we headed over, and you can’t get enough of them, huh?
Kit: Uh-huh! {nods}
Roland: Hahaha! {rofl}
GenieAriel: Gosh I missed a lot. Sorry guys…
Kaylee: Hey, it’s okay, girl. We know you’ve been doing a lot lately. Roland filled us in.
Andrea: We’re just glad to have you back!

Andrea felt a few tears flow into the water around her. Ariel was finally back.

GenieAriel: Thanks, everyone! {teardrop}{smile}
GenieAriel: So let me get this straight… Kaylee moved to the west coast, thanks to meeting Kit?
Kaylee: Yup, overnight security detail at a place called Citadel Harbor University.
GenieAriel: And Kit’s an AI that became a person?
Kit: Robot tomboy girl! {Uploaded Picture}
GenieAriel: {blush}{sqee} Oh my gosh, you’re adorable!
Kit: {smile} Thanksies!
GenieAriel: Why don’t I share what I look like now? {Uploaded Picture}{Uploaded Picture}
GenieAriel: Second one is when I tried on the form of a kitsune…
Kaylee: So pretty! I like that shroud thing, so sparkly! And the dress looks so soft!
Kit: Doubly cute for double the cute Ariels!
GenieAriel: {blush}
Roland: I know dysphoria when I see it… You look uncomfortable as the fox girl.
Andrea: Totally. What went wrong?
GenieAriel: I couldn’t get past the fur. I was kind of a hairy guy, and the fur made that feeling rush back…
Roland: {hug}
Andrea: {hug}
Kaylee: {hug} Remember girl, it’s whatever you want for yourself now. Don’t force anything.
Kit: {hug (times 20)}{crying}{hug (times 5)}
GenieAriel: Thanks, everyone! It was pretty, and maybe I can talk to a kitsune friend of mine about it later. A part of me doesn’t want to give it up yet.
GenieAriel: Speaking of transformations… Andrea, you’re a mermaid now, or something?
Andrea: Pretty much. Ocean Magic and stuff. Saved my life.
GenieAriel: Same, but with different magic.
Andrea: Hang on, let me get a new selfie…

Andrea opened up the camera function for her display set. She set a timer for five seconds and swam up to position herself just right. She waved to the camera as it snapped the photo. She lowered herself to the console and uploaded the new image.

Kaylee: Looking good, girl!
Roland: Stunning as always!
Kit: I can identify 68 new scales in this picture! {smile}
Kaylee: Somehow your robotic analyzing still comes off as cute!
Kit: Hehe! {smile}
GenieAriel: Wow, you are STUNNING! {shocked_face}
GenieAriel: But it seems Kit’s noticing you have more scales? You’re still changing?
Roland: Sorry Andrea, I didn’t tell her everything.
Andrea: No, it’s okay! It’s Ariel, I’d love to tell her myself!

She paused for a moment. Sure, she just saw Ariel in a picture, but the last time they heard each other’s voice, they were both pre-transformation. And frankly, neither of them ever trained a good girl’s voice very well before then. She wanted to hear Ariel again…

Andrea: Mind if we go to video chat?
Roland: You can do that with your setup?
Andrea: How do you think I got the selfie?
Kaylee: She has a point.
Kit: Not all tech short circuits with water. I love swimming at the pool!
Kaylee: I’ve seen her do it! It’s some amazing shit!
Kit: {smile}
Andrea: Hahahaha
Roland: Hahahaha
GenieAriel: Oh lord {rofl}
GenieAriel: But sure, I’d love to!

Before anyone could react, it was Ariel herself that set up the chat. Andrea quickly accepted and was the first to pop up. She swam up from her chair.

“Wow, Andrea, your place looks so fun!” Ariel gushed in a soft, angelic voice.

“Hehe, thanks! And your voice is how I pictured you’d one day sound, Ariel!” Andrea commented back.

Ariel was blushing as the others swiftly joined.

“Oh my gosh, Ariel looks so cute blushing like that!” Kit gushed in her lightly metallic voice.

“Doesn’t she?” Roland agreed. Ariel blushed even harder. She even started visibly glowing.

“Ha ha! That’s neat! She glows when she feels good! That’s adorable!” Kaylee gushed. Ariel couldn’t blush any harder, but she could glow more!

“W-wow, th-thanks, everyone!” Ariel stammered.

“For what it’s worth, Ariel, your place also looks good! It’s got this warm cabin feel to it.” Andrea noted. “Where are you, anyway?”

“It’s, uh, my ‘vessel,’ the object I live in. I can shape it however I want, inside and out. It’s a pocket dimension in here. Meanwhile, my vessel, a flashlight, is currently sitting on a desk in my holder’s room…” Ariel explained, blushing a little.

“So you’re sitting at a desk, on a desk?” Kaylee jokingly noted.

The entire chat room burst into laughter, none harder than Ariel herself. “O-oh gosh, it’s totally like that, isn’t it?” she sputtered, with a wide grin on her face as she wiped away tears. Ariel worked to regain her composure. “So, Andrea, about my question… You’re still changing?”

“Yeah, the transformation process is a bitch. Once it’s done, I’ll be able to walk on land and breathe air again. But right now, I’m losing the ability to be above water. I can barely breathe air right now. And you can see my feet are growing longer… I can’t wear shoes anymore! But my gender transformation is complete now, so all the woman you see before you, that’s what I’ll look like in the end… It finished up September 4^th…” Andrea explained.

“Oh wow, that’s when I presented myself to Heather! I have to wonder if that’s a coincidence or not… And you have this really pretty deep woman’s voice! I didn’t expect that! Otherwise, though, that’s rough. But it looks like you’re getting help to make the most of it!” Ariel commented.

“Yup! The other merfolk have been really good to us, as has CHU! They rebuilt our place after the storm destroyed the house and pulled me out to sea, complete with this spacious mermaid suite! I think I have a couple more weeks left before I’m stuck down here. I’m just hoping they can figure out the retro controller prototype soon… I’ve been dying to play some of my favorites growing up! Can’t really do that right now…”

“Ouch, I know how much you loved your old 16-bit games, Andrea…” Ariel noted. No one noticed, but Ariel secretly snapped her fingers under her desk, a few sky-blue sparkles fluttering from her hand…

“But yeah, once my legs ‘feel numb and like lead,” my time above water is officially over. That’s when ‘fusion’ starts, when my legs begin magically fusing together to become my mermaid tail. I’m told whatever I was wearing down there at the time will disappear into me, to be recalled once I’m a complete mermaid,” Andrea explained.

“Freaky…” Ariel muttered. “I just kinda… Touched a gold tablet and just was. But hey, I’m here, we’re all here for you!”

“Yup!” Kit agreed.

“Indeed!” agreed Roland.

“You’re our favorite sea creature, after all!” Kaylee joked, getting everyone to laugh again.

“And while I’m dedicated to someone else right now, if you’re really in trouble, Andrea, don’t hesitate to make a prayer! I can hear those!” Ariel explained.

“Thanks! All of you! I’m crying right now, but, you know, I’m underwater…” Andrea joked, getting more laughs.

“Well, with that out of the way, Kit, how are you communicating with us?” Ariel asked her. “I can imagine all sorts of different ways you can do that as a robot!”

“And she can imagine a lot, just so you know!” Roland joked.

“I’m boring: I type just like the rest of you!” Kit joked. More laughs ensued.

“Gotta do it the hard way, don’t you, Kit?” Kaylee joked while trying to hold back her own laughter.

“You know it! I love that tactile sensation, the clicking of the keys of the keypad! I actually bought myself a typewriter the other day!” Kit joked with an endearing smile.

Everyone burst out laughing.

That’s when Kit snapped to and blushed. Ariel noticed this first. “What is it, Kit? Also, the way you blush is adorable!” Ariel commented, noting Kit’s light-driven blushing mechanism.

“Thank you, and I just realized! Kaylee and I have some time off soon! We could come down and see Andrea in person! Mid-October! We could give you some company, Andrea!”

“Oh yeah! I almost forgot about that. We could make a trip to Andrea’s place before my boyfriend and I get some things around for living with Kit during the winter,” Kaylee noted.

“Oh yeah, I hear long term forecasts have Oregon and northern California being dumped on this winter…” Roland realized.

“That’s why. Cut the commute to across town rather than from the Oregon border,” Kaylee replied.

“Well, you all know where to find me!” Andrea joked. “I’m looking forward to it!” She smiled. None of them wanted this to end… They continued for hours, talking and joking and praising each other well into the night.

They were finally together again!

=== Two weeks later… Early October. ===

Andrea had a breathing apparatus now, but instead of air, she constantly had saltwater pumped into her nose and lungs. She was well beyond air breathing now, but she stubbornly refused to give up time with her parents while she still could walk. Citadel Harbor University came up with this portable prototype device to help with that.

Her legs were also fully scaled up now, with her feet now genuine flippers, with no defined toes and long, turquoise blue fins. They were sensitive to the floor, but she had learned to live with it. She just needed to step carefully.

She was cutting up vegetables in the basement kitchen with her parents – one of the best things to snack on underwater, given cooked and pre-prepared foods didn’t really agree with water – when an odd sensation started filling her legs.

She quickly threw down the utensils and braced herself.

“Andrea!?” her mother yelped.

It was happening, a tingling numbness.

“Nonononono, I think it’s happening! I’m losing my legs!” Andrea screamed. “No, I have to calm down. I just got to get to the pool, back to the suite…”

“We’re here for you!” her dad reassured her.

“Thanks, but, let me try to make it on my own, if I can. It’s not too far away…” Andrea started moving her legs, one wide, awkward flippered foot at a time, slowly. She was fighting to recall how to step, as if the very memory of it was being wiped from her mind. Her gait became slower and more methodical with each step as she struggled to move forward.

“Come on, you stupid legs! Just one more short walk, that’s all I ask!” she growled at her increasingly unmovable legs.

Her parents stayed close, trying to make sure they were there to catch her if she fell.

With a mere five steps to the door to the pool room, she froze. Sort of. Her legs now refused to budge with her will, her struggle seen as she squirmed about. “Come on, damn it!” She now used her arms, carrying each leg another step forward with all her might. She quickly flung the door open, but she stumbled as it opened, holding onto the doorknob for dear life. She hung from it, her bottom a couple of inches from the floor. Her legs uselessly dangled about. She looked to the side…

The pool was right there.

“Andrea, sweetie…” her mom said, worried.

“I… I got this…” She carefully lowered herself to the floor. Andrea dragged herself along the floor, inch by painstaking inch, her legs now all but useless on land. Her parents watched on, horrified by their daughter’s struggle to make it to the pool. Andrea pulled herself to the edge of the pool. She hesitated. Tears were forming in her eyes.

Her parents rushed over to hug her. “It’s okay, sweetie. We’ll be here for you when you’re finally able to resurface…”

“And besides, we can always talk to you right here, or by the intercom. We’ll be here if you need us…” her father reassured her.

“Th-thanks guys!” she cried. They shared the moment just a little longer before they backed off. They nodded to Andrea. They knew it was time for her to go.

Andrea nodded back. She knew it was time, too. She braced herself along the edge of the pool. With a final heave, she threw herself into the salty pool with a big splash. She floated there, frozen for a moment as her legs regained feeling and began naturally swimming. This is all they could do now until her transformation was complete.

The Madison parents could only look on, watching their daughter from above as she curled up and began to cry…

=== Mid-October. ===

Mrs. Madison opened the door. “Hello, Kaylee and Kit! It’s nice to see you here, in the…” Mrs. Madison hesitated with the word as she looked at Kit.

“Oh, you can call it flesh! It’s modeled after skin, after all!” Kit suggested with a smile.

“O-okay. Sorry about that, just didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to offend anyone!” Mrs. Madison admitted.

“Offend Kit? You’d have an easier time convincing a pig it could fly… This girl takes everything in stride!” Kaylee joked. Kit smiled a big wide grin. But the moment they looked at each other, their expressions turned somber. “Still, Andrea told us about what happened. That was rough to hear her recount…”

“She’s so strong, but it was hard to watch my baby go through that…” Mrs. Madison admitted. “Let me call her up, let her know you’re here now.” She approached a panel with several buttons on it. She pressed one down, and it lit up. “Andrea, your friends are here!”

“Thanks, mom! I’ll meet them at the pool in a couple of minutes!” Andrea answered back.

Mrs. Madison gestured Kaylee and Kit to follow. Meanwhile, Andrea sat up from her chair. She had the portable water-breathing device by her. She grabbed it, but she listed sideways awkwardly as she lost balance. She waved her arms to correct herself, not wanting to use what was below the waist…

Fusion had begun shortly after the incident a couple of weeks ago. Her shorts and underwear disappeared overnight as her hip features and more lost all definition. Now, weeks in, her legs, while still distinctly there, were stuck together. Her feet had angled outward and fused. She had a full-blown tail now. There was no such thing on her body as feet… Just one enormous turquoise blue fin.

Beautiful as it was becoming, it made swimming incredibly awkward. While places at her hips and feet were ready to be used as a mermaid’s tail, everything in between was still stuck with the internal bone structure of human legs. She was adapting to the changes, but it was taking some serious brainwork to figure out how to swim decently enough.

She made it easier on herself as she used walls and door frames to pull herself along. Eventually, she arrived to her waiting friends at the pool. She slipped on the breathing device and kicked herself up to the surface.

“Hey, you two!” she greeted, in a cheery voice.

“Hey there, girl!” Kaylee replied. “It’s nice to see you in the flesh for a change.”

“Same, to both of you!”

Kit looked at Andrea’s forming tail, seeing the hinge-like motion of her half-formed tail. “That does not look fun…” she noted, looking down.

Andrea slowly swam up to an edge and pulled herself up. She flexed the awkward appendage. “Yeah, this sucks. I can see why Zenna and the rest wanted me in the water for this part, and for me to be safe wherever that was. This is awkward…” Her sarcastic, light-voiced emphasis on the last word got the other two to chuckle. “Oh, good! I can at least get you two to smile! I thought the dread of it all was going to hang over this whole meet.”

“I thought you were putting on a brave face the whole time, but it does look like you’re still doing pretty good!” Kaylee realized.

“Of course! I have you guys! Our regular chats have been awesome while I’m stuck here. And besides… How can I be mad with infinite cat vids to binge all day long?” Andrea suggested with a sly smile. This got all of them to laugh. “Also, too, the folks at CHU got my retro gaming setup done just in time! I really don’t know how they pulled it off, with an estimated time of months…”

“I think I know how…” Kaylee suggested, grinning.

“Ariel?” Kit asked.

Kaylee nodded. “Probably did some magical shit while we weren’t paying attention. We all know she wants everyone to be happy. Now she can do it with a snap of her fingers!”

“Not wrong there!” Andrea agreed.

“Anyway, Andrea, I know you’ve probably been lonely down there, so…” Kit grabbed her own clothes and ripped them apart, revealing she had been wearing a pink bikini underneath all along! “How would you like me to swim with you for a while?” she suggested with a grin.

“Kit!? What the hell!?” Kaylee yelped, startled. “Why’d you rip your clothes apart!? That’s a waste of clothes! Do you have anything else to wear?”

“It was for dramatic effect!” she suggested with an earnest grin. Andrea was trying her best not to burst out laughing. "Besides, I got a change of clothes in the car.”

“And when, exactly, were you going to put them on? They’re still in the car, you know…”

“Details to figure out later. So how about it, Andrea? Water or air, doesn’t matter to me.”

“I’d love that, Kit! If that’s okay with you, Kaylee…”

“Eh, someone’s got to get Kit’s clothes for her. I could talk to your parents too while I’m at it,” Kaylee replied.

“Alright! Kit, if you’ll let me go first…” Kit nodded, and Andrea threw herself into the water with a big splash. Kit grabbed the ladder and followed her in more gently.

Kaylee just stood there for a moment. “Shit. That moment where you realize you should have brought a swim dress…”

Andrea slipped off the breathing apparatus as she watched Kit enter the water. She wasn’t sure what to expect with a robot, but Kit’s movements were surprisingly fluid and graceful, like she’d been doing it for years (even though she’s only been around for months). Kit swam up to her and waved.

“Well, I guess I’ll be the only one-“

“Hello there!” Kit exclaimed happily.

Andrea did a backflip out of shock. “Holy shit, Kit, what the hell!?”

“Hehe, sorry, I should have expected you weren’t expecting me to be able to talk!”

“You can say that-“ Andrea continued to wobble about as she flailed about to correct herself, with little success. “Arg! Curse this awkward semi-mermaid body!” she groaned as she struggled about.

“Hang on, girl…” Kit swam up to her and carefully reoriented Andrea. “There you go!” Kit said, smiling now that Andrea was upright again.

“Okay, how are you – the robot – better than a freaking mermaid at swimming?”

Kit shrugged. “I downloaded a lot when I was trying to build and operate a body. I have a ton of swimming lessons in here, adapted for use with my body. Still doesn’t mean I understand it all…”

“Probably not anything in there to help me, though…”

“Hang on…” Kit swam around Andrea, observing her movements from every angle. “You know… Maybe you’re trying to swim like you will be, rather than what you are now? And that disconnect is making it really awkward?”

“I mean, maybe?”

“I think I got something in here that could help… Ever seen shows of humans who dress up as mermaids and swim around?”

“I know they’re out there, might have seen a couple of snippets. Why?”

“Well, let’s think of it this way: right now, you have human legs stuck in a mermaid tail. Right now, you’re trying to use it like the real thing, which has a lot more flexibility. You’re banking on that flexibility you don’t have to swim, and that’s why you’re struggling.”

“You know, that makes sense…”

“Let me try to demonstrate…” Kit put her legs together and spread her feet out as far as she could to mimic the tailfin. She reoriented herself horizontally, then used her arms to propel herself forward as she flexed her legs up and down. Sure enough, Kit was moving forward with grace and speed. Andrea followed suit, and before long, she was swimming with far more grace than she had been since her legs started to fuse.

Kit witnessed it all and started clapping. “Yeee! You’re getting it!” she cheerfully exclaimed.

“Wow, yeah… Thanks, Kit! I’ll have to watch some more videos on that later. I probably need to learn a bit more of how to maneuver like that… Still, I try not to watch too much that reminds me of land right now. I mean, right now, I can’t even have a hamburger! You know what I want right now? A great big bun, with two quarter-pound slabs. Several layers of bacon. Lettuce, pickles, onion, tomatoes, with cheese oozing out the sides, and I just want to…” She simulated gnashing at the massive sandwich, as she did, her teeth became increasingly sharp and jagged.

“Woah, hey, girl, calm down! Don’t go piranha on me right now!”

“Huh?” Andrea felt her teeth, which she wasn’t even aware had sharpened in that moment. “Right. That happens when I even think of having meat. Still, I miss having food like that…”

“I don’t blame you. Hey, seeing as we’re here, why don’t you show me around? And I have to ask, what kind of retro games do you have?”

“Heh, why don’t I show you?” Andrea replied, grinning.

She pulled Kit along, Kit getting a rare surface-dweller’s view of Andrea’s underwater sanctuary. Lights strong enough to light the underwater space were embedded into the walls behind glass, arranged with tile into beautiful murals depicting merfolk stories. Walls, ceilings, and floors alike were wonderfully colorful! The rooms were very spacious, vast rooms that were at least twenty feet tall, and at least just as wide and long in most cases, giving Andrea a massive amount of space to swim around in. Kit picked up on the furniture, which looked like it had been constructed with nonmetal and non-wood materials, from plastics to stone, to better survive the watery environment. The cushions on all of them were surprisingly comfy looking, all water-based. Andrea was given a massive king-sized bed, as her mermaid tail would grow out much longer than her human legs. Still, Kit wondered if the place was designed for an additional merfolk or two living down here… This was a lot of space for one young woman!

Finally, they arrived in Andrea’s underwater media room. “Wow! I mean, we see this every time we video chat now, but this looks so much cooler in person!”

“Doesn’t it? I decided to move a couch in here to be more comfortable when bingeing or playing games.”

“I saw that last week.” Kit floated down onto the couch. She wiggled her behind on it. “Oooh… This is really comfy!”

“The CHU team really outdid themselves with everything. Honestly, I’m not sure if I can go back to regular furniture at this point…” Andrea half-joked.

“Ha! I don’t blame you! I might just ask them to make me a water couch before too long now!” Kit looked down and noticed the connected game controller. There were several of them! There were multiple connection ports for them too. Andrea’s rig could play multiplayer games! “Hey… I know we shouldn’t keep Kaylee waiting forever, but do you have a racing game on this? I’d love to have a race with you! Besides, how many can say they played a video game underwater?”

“Hehe! Sure, we can do that!” Andrea floated down and grabbed a controller. They loaded up Andrea’s favorite racing game and got to it…

The intercom crackled on a few minutes later. “Alright, Kaylee, we’re done down here!” Kit replied in her usual cheerful voice. “Come and meet us at the pool!”

Kaylee nodded and headed for the room, coming in as Kit was drying off and Andrea was pulling herself out of the water, once again wearing her water-breathing apparatus. “So, you two, how’d it go?”

“I taught Andrea how to swim better!” Kit exclaimed.

“No shit, really?” Kaylee asked.

“Really. I’ll need to look at mermaid show videos later to try to learn more. Just so I can swim around better until I have a full mermaid body. Kit pointed out I was trying to swim like I had the full tail already,” Andrea explained.

“And I got to see what it’s like down there! It’s so pretty! Andrea’s lucky!”

“Shit, sounds like I missed out. Anything else?”

“We did a round of an old racing game of hers…” Kit’s expression changed to disappointment. “She kicked my butt.”

“Hahahaha! Did you factor in the watery environment, Kit?” Kaylee asked, trying to contain her amusement.

“I did! I should have realized Andrea was going to be way better than me regardless, having played the game more…” Andrea gave off a sly grin, relishing in beating an AI.

“Anyway, have any news for us, Andrea? I mean, you did have a life outside of this house before all of this…” Kaylee noted.

“Oh yeah, that. Well, Terrance was working closely with me and my employer. Turns out my boss was going to be okay with me being, well, fish girl, knowing all the accommodations I’d need. Once I came back. He was okay with it…” Andrea explained, hinting at something more.

“Something go wrong?” Kit asked.

“The business did. Went belly up shortly before my legs couldn’t walk anymore,” Andrea answered.

“Pfft, good lord, hahaha!” Kaylee laughed.

“Yeah, turns out it was really poorly managed. Who knew?” Andrea joked. “So, in light of being an accountant without a job – and brand new fishy bits – I decided to apply to CHU last week! It’s about a 3 hour drive each way, but I can deal.”

“You know, you are a mermaid. You could just swim there, and command currents to get you there in an hour. Lots of merfolk do that,” Kit reminded her.

Andrea stared blankly at her for a moment. “Holy shit, you’re right! I was so focused on the physical changes that I keep forgetting I can magically manipulate water. I do it on random occasions, when I’m bored.”

“Great time to do it! Just play around with it!” Kaylee agreed. “But, you know, we probably got to head out. We’re going north tomorrow. It’ll be a drive back to Citadel Harbor for us, and another long trip tomorrow.”

“I understand, and it’s been great seeing you both! OH! Before I forget, Zenna keeps checking up on me. We’re getting a more solid timeframe when this should all be over. I think in the next week or two, we’ll even have a date for when my transformation is finished!”

“That’s wonderful, Andrea! Maybe we can get some time off for when you can resurface, make it a big gathering!” Kit suggested.

“Maybe we can talk Ariel into coming, bring Roland along. Then the gang’s all here for you!” Kaylee added.

“Aww, thanks guys! We can talk about it more when I know more. Until then, See you, girls!” Andrea said, waving.

“You too, Andrea!” Kaylee and Kit said at the same time, both waving to her. When they left the room and closed the door, Andrea jumped back into the water. Taking her breathing device off, she let out a contented sigh. She hoped that their suggestion would work out. Everyone, together. That was the new dream.

=======

Two weeks later, the CHU team had analyzed Andrea’s progress, and they had a date for her: November 15^th. Their estimate suggested that when she woke up that day, she’d be fully formed and ready to return to the surface!

Andrea, of course, excitedly let everyone know the news! Everyone was so happy for her. And on top of that, they had been discussing trying to come down and meet her when she came up from the water. Ariel and Roland were the biggest questions, but it seemed Ariel’s charge, Heather, did fine without her on weekends. As such, Ariel would be free then. And Roland made sure to take that Saturday off to join in. With the plan set, all they had to do was wait…

When Andrea awakened on the 15^th, she pulled her blankets aside to see a fully-formed, wiggly mermaid tail attached to her. She felt how easy it was to move in the water now. But she could also feel it; her lungs were ready to accept air once more, and she could recall her legs. Her ordeal was finally over.

Certainly, over the next couple of days, her friends gushed over her full mermaid form. She was beautiful. But she saved the moment of coming up again for them. She wanted them to be there, to see her first steps as a true mermaid back onto land.

Finally, that Saturday arrived…

Kaylee and Kit were certain they were first to arrive, not seeing a trace of Ariel or Roland. As they strolled up, however, they were met with a bright flash off to the side. Ariel had teleported the two of them over, and Ariel was bracing Roland while his eyes were spinning.

“Sorry, Roland. I warned you the first time is never easy,” Ariel reminded him.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine, as long as you can keep me upright for another minute or so…” he muttered.

“So, this is it, we’re all here!” Kit said gleefully.

“That we are…” Ariel trailed off in awe.

“I got to say it, it’s amazing to meet you two in person!” gushed Kaylee. “And Roland was right, you really have this aura about you now, Ariel. I feel more at ease with you here, for some reason!”

“Hehe! Thanks! That’s what I go for!” Ariel commented.

The four walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. Mrs. Madison opened up the door, with her husband in tow.

“Hello there!” the four of them chanted in unison.

“My gosh, you’re all here! Welcome, welcome!” Mrs. Madison greeted them.

“We saw Kaylee and Kit last month, but you two are Roland and Ariel?” Mr. Madison asked. They nodded. “Wonderful to meet you two for the first time!” They smiled, with Ariel glowing a little.

Mrs. Madison moved over to the intercom. “Andrea, sweetie, your friends are here! Are you ready?”

“I am! Just waiting for everyone!” she answered back.

“Wonderful! Everyone, let’s not keep her waiting!”

On Andrea’s end, the intercom cut out. She was already at the pool. She looked up to the surface. It had been a crazy ride to get here, but through it all, she had nothing to complain about. She reunited with her friends, she bonded so closely with her parents, and above all, she was the beautiful woman she always wanted to be, and more. Arduous as it had been, she didn’t regret a moment of it.

She watched as her parents shuffled into the room above. Then Kit and Kaylee, then Roland, in his signature pink, and Ariel, who seemed to give off a soft glow. They were all there. It was time.

Andrea swam up to the surface, her head breaking the water. She took a big, deep breath, and exhaled slowly, contently.

“How does it feel, Andrea?” Ariel asked.

“Good. Great! I’m finally done cooking!” Andrea joked, getting everyone to chuckle. “Mind giving me some space?”

The group parted ways to give Andrea a place to come up. She pulled herself out of the water with the ladder, using her long tail to keep pushing until there was no water left to push against. She pulled herself onto the floor, soaking wet, her tail slowly curling around. Everyone was in awe of the sight, her red tail, shimmering in gold, with the striking contrast of the turquoise blue fin. It was a sight to behold in person!

She flipped herself around to be sitting on what would have been her behind, her tail now in front of her. She felt her new magic calling to her, and she responded to it. She let it flow, and before everyone’s eyes, her tail glowed, slowly reforming into a pair of legs, adorned with the shorts she was wearing when she last had them. With the transformation complete, the glow faded, leaving her with legs adorned in the same golden-red scales, and toes webbed in turquoise blue. Andrea wiggled them around, the first time she’s had them in over a month.

“I did not think I’d be saying this, but I missed having toes…” More chuckles ensued.

Andrea pulled her legs in. She felt them, having not been able to use them for some time. Suddenly, worry hit her that she might not be able to walk so easily. They felt weak. She glanced up at Roland. He instinctively knew what she wanted and came over. He slowly picked her up, and Andrea stood on her legs, a bit wobbly.

“Easy, Andrea…” he whispered to her.

She started to balance out, Roland taking one arm. She thought about walking but felt uneasy. She lifted her other arm. Everyone made a move, but Kit’s reflexes beat them to it.

“I-I want to try to go out to the beach,” she explained.

“We got you, girl. Slow steps,” Kit said to her.

She wobbly put one foot forward. “Just one in front of the other…” She moved her other foot forward, Roland and Kit guiding her in tandem. “Just one foot in front of the other…” she repeated. With each step, her pace picked up. After a minute, she was into the basement kitchen, with the daylight calling to her beyond the glass doors. With each step, she gained confidence, speed, and strength. Halfway to the door, she made a light tug, gesturing Roland and Kit to let go. Before long, her steps were graceful and natural, her movements finally back to her.

Tears were being shed behind her as she moved to pull the glass doors open. The sea breeze poured through, hitting them all. She continued her trek to the edge of the beach, before kneeling down to the water.

“What’s she doing?” Roland asked.

“Hang on, I think this is something she needs to do,” Ariel explained. “I sense the magic she’s connected to. It comes from the ocean itself. Let’s give her a moment…”

Andrea closed her eyes. She felt the tremendous power of the ocean through her hand. “I… Don’t know if you are listening, but I understand what you did for me. I am alive. I’ve been reunited with my friends. My bond with my parents is stronger than ever. And now I have the body I have always wanted. And through this ordeal, I know not to take things for granted, like breathing the air or my own body. So… Thank you.”

Her eyes were startled open. She heard it: “You’re welcome!”

She smiled. She pulled her hand from the water and stood up. She turned to look at her friends and family, some tears forming. She dashed over to them and gave them all a big group hug!

“Oh my gosh, it’s good to be back!” she cried out. “And I get to see all of you in person! This is the best thing ever!”

“Aww…” swooned Ariel.

“You know it!” agreed Kaylee.

“We’re here for you, Andrea!” cheered Roland.

“Of course!” agreed Kit.

“And we’re so glad to have you back, sweetie…” her mom gushed.

“And to see you so happy too! This was all worth it in the end!” her father added.

Andrea backed up and wiped away her tears. “Heh, haven’t done that in a while…” she muttered.

“Well, now, we have the rest of the day! All of us got the day off, so we have plenty of time to do something together!” Roland suggested.

“Oh, I could make it so we all breathe water for a while!” Ariel suggested. “We could see the world Andrea gets to explore!”

“Damn, that’s creative!” Kaylee gushed. “That’d be awesome! But wouldn’t Andrea want to make her first day back about being on the surface again?”

“Oh, wait a minute! I got an idea! Let’s get lunch!” Kit suggested. “After all, Andrea hasn’t had cooked food in months! Didn’t you say something about craving a big cheeseburger a few weeks ago?”

“That sounds great!” Roland agreed.

“Oh yeah, I’m starving…” admitted Kaylee.

“Always open to trying new things!” added Ariel.

Andrea paused, looking at all of her eager friends. She took a moment to take it all in…

“You know what? Let’s do it!” Andrea cheered.

THE END

By CrystalSeaDragon44