#ideas drafts

Cross is part of a ship's crew on an expedition with a group of scientists. He has no idea what they're researching, but from the amount of gadgets in his cargo hold, most notably the big tank, he tells him they didn't come just to look.

One day he wakes up to the scientists in a frenzy. They seem to have finally found what they were looking for. On the same day they haul something from the ocean onto the ship.

None of this concerns Cross and he's content to ignore the whole geeky thing if it weren't for a slip-up on his part. Taking a shortcut ends up in the cargo hold, in front of a huge tank containing a beautiful golden-tailed merskeleton.

Cross is fascinated by the being that seems to be sleeping at the bottom of the tank and is almost caught. Quickly hiding (the crew wasn't allowed to be there) he overhears a conversation between two scientists and discovers that they intend to use the mermaid as bait.

That doesn't sit well with Cross (not to mention what kind of predator needs more bait that big?) who decides to release the beautiful creature back into the sea. He succeeds, but is discovered. In the midst of a struggle the ship explodes and Cross is thrown overboard.

Dream who had just been freed sees the explosion and against all better judgment heads towards the wreckage in hopes of rescuing his savior. His madness is rewarded by finding a badly injured Cross.

Despite his immense power, Dream cannot heal the surface dweller who has injuries beyond his ability to heal, but he cannot let his savior die. He then seeks Ink's help and begs him to do something forbidden.

The other leviathan hesitates, but in the end accepts the request, as long as Dream doesn't tell anyone. Dream promises and Ink turns Cross into a mermaid. He then leaves, not wanting to stay in case Nightmare shows up.

Dream is elated but very worried. He's been away for a long time and his brother certainly felt the explosion. He can't let the others find out about Cross, not before he's talked and explained (and convinced) everything to him.

(If Nightmare finds out he's not only been captured, he's also saved a surface dweller - who was sort of one of his captors - and even turned him into a mermaid, he'll be lucky he doesn't become food for Killer's crabs)

Dream then hides Cross in a cave hoping the newly turned mershark will sleep long enough for him to return to the shiver to disguise and then return to introduce him to his new reality.

Though his injuries and the transformation have consumed much of his magic, Cross wakes up not long after.

Cross wakes up to find that not only was he surprisingly alive, he was now a mermaid himself. Confused, scared and disoriented, Cross leaves the cave and starts looking for help.

He tries to find where his ship sank, hoping to find some rescue boat and someone who can help him. He searches without success. Giving up, he wanders off into the open sea, hoping to reach shore or some boat.

Meanwhile, Dream manages to trick his brother and the other mers. He quickly returns to the cave only to find it empty and any trace of the new mer gone. He desperately searches for Cross but doesn't find him and returns to the shiver with a broken heart and overwhelming guilt.

Cross ends up lost, with no idea how to orient himself or how to be a mermaid. Luckily he ends up running into Ink who probably thinks Cross is familiar, but doesn't remember where he knows him. He spends time with Cross, teaching him a few things, like hunting, some rules of the undersea world (like not showing yourself to surface dwellers), etc.

One day, after Ink leaves, Cross decides to go after the squid and ends up running into Error who tries to kill him. When running away, he gets lost again and spends a long time wandering and completely by chance he ends up bumping into Dream.

The goldfish is thrilled to get Cross back and immediately takes/drags him to the shiver (before he loses him again).

Cross is surprised and happy that the golden mermaid survived and even more so that he "adopted" him almost immediately.

The rest of the shiver isn't as excited as Dream, but at least they don't try to kill him like the eel did.

He does everything he can to keep his secret (which isn't a mermaid originally) from the rest of the shiver, afraid they'll try to kill him, or worse, abandon him (for now, the poor guy is more afraid of being alone than dying).

Nightmare and the others know there's something strange about the rookie, but Dream is so in love with him that no one dares to question it too deeply.

Dream at first, very excited to have found Cross again, doesn't talk about the transformation and as Cross doesn't talk about it either, he imagines that the other is fine with it (and the boy is trying so hard to adapt and fit in.. . sure he wants to stay there) not to mention he promised Ink that no one would know, so not bringing it up is the best course of action.