"*yawn*...might've been rough but at least I finally got a night's sleep without aunt Marie grabbing me out in attempts to force her spendaholic addictions into...me..." Ashley mumbled as she woke up and started walking out of this oncove of rocks she had found last night that made an alright shelter, but upon seeing the horizon it was clear the mainland had vanished in the night as she slept.
"your kidding me? where's the mainland go?" Ashley questioned in shock at the now endless sea view. "it remained upon the prime plain my dear" a kind yet firm male voice suddenly answered from one of the channels by where Ashley had slept. Ashley turned to see who was talking to find a male, mid-30s with green hair, Asian features to his face, the expected athletic build for someone his age that retained a balanced lifestyle, bobbing out of the water. "sorry... who are you?" Ashley asked. "name's Rem, Rem Yamamoto" the man answered. "Ashley Lewis" Ashley returned.
"So... you the daughter of the owner of the motor boat I witnessed pulling up while Sea-ones was responding to a calling. "well... actually how do I put this" Ashley started "the boat's in...no way legally...mine". "Call may have been so powerful it lead you to crime. very rare but it happens" Rem noted while pondering with his chin in his oddly light-red webbed fingers with red scales and shoulder fins hand. "no... i'm a runaway. escaping from my evil aunt trying to marry me off to a middle-aged paedophile with connections and no desire to follow the law so long as he makes vast amounts of money with spending to get it practically non-existent" Ashley correctly while waving her hands about. "my apologises" Rem apologised.
"wait? didn't I read somewhere that in Japan the age of consent is 13?" Ashley then questioned. "doesn't mean many accept it or agree to old adults marrying teenagers" Rem assured. "your English is wonderfully great by the way... so about-" Ashley then started. "I have no means of doing let alone benefiting turning you in. especially as by all accounts now you called the Island as I expected" Rem interrupted. "hang on? called the Island? how can I call up an island?" Ashley protested. "maybe I best show you" Rem answered.
Before Ashley could ask more Rem swam to the landmass she had been on and started pulling himself out of the water...but Rem didn't have legs but instead from his waist down a deep green tail matching Rem's hair emerged from the water. "WOW" Ashley cried in response as she fell back in shock "your a merman". "this is a magical island that ties the prime world to a smaller, work of pure sea and the means of allowing those from either side to change to allow habitantablity to those that travel with it" Rem explained.
"...so... while Asian your more the western style of merman... eating your flash, not that I plan on it, isn't an either/or case of dying, turning into a monster or becoming immortal?" Ashley inquired. "*chuckle* indeed so. eating my flesh has nothing happen to you" Rem joyfully assured before asking "but old cultures aside what is your mermaid preference?".
This got Ashley curious, but still she had such dreams like Rem refereed to. only she was the explorer type of mermaid whenever she dreamt of being one, a mermaid seeking adventures or exploring the unknown. that while more understanding of a balance if eating to survive fish were food but not to be excessively hunting. plus this thing about the Island somehow adapting visitor to survive different realms "are you saying... I could become a mermaid?" Ashley inquired. "if you want... there is a special spring within the mountain. if you truly desire to be a mermaid you must first head their" Rem answered "I'll be waiting their for the rest of the day if you choose to join the sea".
the trek to the mountain took awhile but thankfully their was a clear entrance right leading deep inside where surely this spring was. taking precautions Ashley took time before heading inside to switch into her purple tankini top and baggy knee length purple swimming shorts, one of the two space sets of clothing she had brought along. the cave was somewhat cold but stable so she was still intact with her things once she reached this collection of springs, one in the centre that looked so clear and clean without any connection to the ocean. the rest less so but surely linked to the ocean.
"you came prepared" Rem remarked as he surfaced from one of the sea-linked springs. "as I said i'm a runaway" Ashley reminded the merman. "make things back in town later easier with the top on, shows your new but at the same time avoids awkward looking many arrives get when female" Rem remarked "that said unless your desire to be a mermaid is to be one forever i'd advise taking the shorts off first as the process will destroy them". "thanks for the heads up... but if you-" Ashley responded. "Oh right... well anyhow once in the spring just relax and let your mind's eye work. let it show you a form and if it matches your heart embrace it as your own" Rem assured while his face briefly turned red before diving down.
"alright... here we go" Ashley quietly and calmly self-assured before gently lowering herself into the central spring with only her tankini top on then relaxing while floating onto her back, her mind suddenly filling with an image of herself as a mermaid, still 13, with the same setup of design as Rem but with purple colours, hair included... happily accepting this look her body underwent the transformation, her legs moving tightly together as the skin between them merged them into a single limb, her toes lengthening into branches with similar ones painlessly growing out of her forearms, her vigina moving outwards a bit before scales started forming covering everything from the waist downwards, similar scales also forming on her forearms as a light-purple membrane formed among the branches and her fingers to finish her tailfin and forearm fins alongside webbing her fingers up, her hair also turning the same purple.
"oh my... it... i'm..." Ashley muttered as she came around and looked at her hands and tail. "your a mermaid now Ashley... but of course it's best you pull yourself out and into this spring" Rem called as he reemerged. Ashley doing as instructed with her diving headfirst to test her ability to breathe water and perfectly and joyfully felt it before popping up herself. "so what now?" Ashley then asked. "when your ready i'll guide you to the village. introduce you to others and get you housed" Rem kindly answered: