Hey everyone! I know it's been a little bit since I submitted the last chapter, but hopefully things will go a little better from this point on and I'm sorry to keep ya'll waiting! In other news, life has gotten a little bit on the busy side due to me starting a new job earlier this month and having to move to a new place so that I can be closer to my job. Almost completely moved in now so yay! :D Also, keep in mind that there is a LOT of thought going into the world building here and the generations each character is going to be pulled from in this story (as well as the type of adventures to include), which is another reason why it's taking me so long to get anything done so that you guys can have fun reading this silly story of mine and I can enjoy writing it! X'D

Anyway, I'll keep working on this story whenever I can and hopefully it won't take me as long to put out the next chapter next time. =w= Enjoy! And remember to leave a review or if you have any ideas or thoughts or theories you wanna share!

Transformers belongs to Hasbro, merformer idea inspired by uniformedshark. Enjoy! ÓvÒ

"With every drop of water you drink, every breath you take, you're connected to the sea."

–Sylvia Earle

The dull roar of crashing waves was the first thing her mind recognized as she awoke, soft sand slipping through her fingers as she clenched her hands. A sharp squeaking sound filled her ears a moment later, something thin and wiry tickling her face as something cold and wet nudged her cheek. Her eyes squinted in the bright light as she shifted, aching muscles screaming in protest as she rolled to the side, trying to make out what was making the sound.

Black eyes stared at her from the cat-like face, the sleek weasel-like body and thick tail marking it as a sea otter. It squeaked and chirruped, rolling over onto its back and squirming towards her like an excited puppy before it rolled back up and stared at her. "Wha-?" She cringed when her voice came out as a croak, coughing to clear her throat a little before she uttered, "Where…am I?"

The sea otter tilted its head at her in curiosity, its eerily intelligent eyes watching her as she sat up and looked around. Right before her was a scenic paradise, the boughs of tropical palm trees bending in the wind and beckoning her to explore the secrets that lay beyond the wall of green. Behind her the calm ocean gently kissed the sandy shore, the crystal-clear waters capturing the white light of the sun with each rippling wave. A sharp pain in her head caused her to wince, pressing her palm to her temple until it had faded to a dull ache. What happened? she thought, struggling to piece together her scattered memories. And…why does everything hurt so much?

In an instant her memories came flooding back: the storm, the tidal wave, the monster, the boat—

The boat!

"Derek!" she called out, struggling to push herself up as her feet kept sinking into the sand. The otter skittered away at the movement, but it stayed close by as she scanned the beach. There was no sign of the ship or its wreckage, and her heart sank at the thoughts that plagued her mind. "Derek? Derek, are you out there? Come on, this isn't funny! Where are yo-?"

The moment she raised her arm to shield her eyes from the blinding light she paused, staring at the seaweed wrapped tightly from her wrist towards her shoulder. She realized her other arm was wrapped the same way, the seaweed still cool and damp as though they had just come from the ocean. It stretched and bent with her arms, clinging tightly to her skin but not constricting it. Peeling away a bit of the leaf near her wrist, she saw a strange thick purple-red and orange paste smeared across the pale flesh. Remembering the shattered glass that had cut her arms, she carefully wiped the paste away—and was amazed to see little more than a partly scabbed over wound.

"What…is this stuff?" she asked, looking down at the sea otter. She hadn't expected an answer, but when the otter turned and started scampering down the beach she blinked in confusion when it looked back at her and seemed to wait. It wasn't until she stepped towards it that it resumed its scampering lope, pausing once again several feet away with a beckoning chirp. Not knowing what to think and seeing no other option, she decided to follow the creature.

As they rounded the bend in the beach, she was surprised to spot a small wooden shack resting between a pair of large palm trees. Her heart leapt in her throat at the sight. If the shack was here, there must be someone on the island. Someone that could help! She bolted, rushing past the otter as she ran up the old stairs and onto the deck. "Hello? Is someone in there?" she called out, peering in through the open door. "Please, I need your—"

Her words died out as she took in the sight before her. It was dim, what little light that filtered in through the thatched roof revealing a pile of bedding rumpled in the corner and various items lying around. The otter scampered past her, crawling underneath the old blankets with a trill. "It's…abandoned," she uttered, her heart sinking. The otter poked its head out from under the blankets as she ventured in, her hands trailing across the tools and makeshift furniture. She noticed that a few of the tools looked old—really old, while others looked fairly new but still 'old-school' as her father liked to call them. "How long has this place been here?"

And if this place is abandoned, she thought, then...who could have wrapped my arms?

A sharp chirp pulled her out of her musing as she turned to face the otter, the sleek critter standing by the door before it scuttled down the steps onto the beach again. When she stepped out once more, she spotted it disappearing under a few large leaves into the forest of palm trees behind the shack. It gave a cry as though to say, 'Hurry up!' until she followed. "You're not like the other otters back home," she commented aloud, stepping carefully on the soft earth and sand. "Did...did you know the person that lived there?"

It chattered in response, and she could swear that it was talking to her in its own way as they pressed deeper into the forest. Soon she noticed an odd sound-quiet as a whisper but loud enough that she could hear it over the faint roar of the ocean. When she pushed aside a pair of large leaves, she gasped at the sight of the river, her furry friend sitting on its haunches near the edge. Water! her mind cried out as she immediately rushed forward, skidding to her knees and scooping her hands into the ice-cold water. When she'd drank her fill her hands were aching from the chill, and it wasn't until that moment that she realized just how dehydrated she'd truly been. With her head cleared and thirst quenched, she sat back on the river bank and looked up at the trees. She would need to find food before it got too dark to see. Shelter wouldn't be too much of a problem with the shack available-if in desperate need of a cleanup-which left only three thoughts that kept buzzing through her head.

Did Derek make it out of the ship? Where did the otter come from and why was it leading her to these places? And who was it that bandaged her arms?

"Oof!" She grunted when she felt a heavy weight flop into her lap, the large mammal rolling until its back was pressed against her stomach and its belly turned upwards. "One thing's for sure, you act more like a sea dog than a sea otter," she commented, reaching out and lightly scratching its chest fur with an amused smile. Her smile faltered a little and she found herself lost in its curious eyes, the otter tilting its head at her—as though expecting something. "Thank you. I don't know what I'd have done had you not been there. I wish I knew how to return the favor." She thought for a moment before she said, "I don't know if you had a name before I came here, but I wonder...if you wouldn't mind if I gave you one?"

She got a chirp in response, and she thought over a name to give her new friend and companion. "How about...Tavi?" she said, her mind drifting to an old movie she'd seen as a child. "Do you like that?"

It seemed to smile in response, though that may have just been a trick of the light as it rolled back over and leaned up to sniff at her face. "Hey, cut it out, that tickles!" She laughed as it continued nuzzling her, and when it finally settled down again she brushed her hand over its smooth head and said, "All right. Tavi it is then." Looking up at the crowns of the trees, she noted the sunlight was fading and told him, "Come on. Let's see what we can find to eat."

When the sun had begun its decent below the horizon several hours later she found herself sitting on top of the makeshift deck of the shack, a small collection of fruits and berries that Tavi had led her to sitting near her leg. The seaweed wraps on her arms had long since dried, forcing her to peel them off and rinse the paste off in the river when it started to pinch. There were still some open cuts, but there was no blood coming from them. The few blankets that had been in the shack were hanging out on a few low-hanging branches, airing out the stale smell until she had a chance to try and wash them in the river tomorrow. Beside her Tavi was plucking berries out of the carved wooden bowl she'd found, enjoying the well-earned feast of a successful scavenge while she sat holding a soft peach-like fruit the size of a softball.

This island...where did it come from? she wondered, taking a tentative bite and wincing at the tart yet subtle sweetness of the syrup. Derek would have mentioned if we were heading to an island before we left, and I didn't see it at any point...just how far off course did that storm take us? How did I even get here? Did Derek somehow get out? The thought of her brother sent a sharp pang of sadness through her chest. Even if he had somehow gotten out from the ship, he wouldn't have abandoned her to fend for herself in the middle of nowhere.

Nothing made sense. What was that creature that formed out of the waves? Where did it come from and why did it attack the ship? And of all the areas she could have washed up on the island…how did she wind up near the shack in the first place? She could have easily wound up miles away on either side of the island, and yet somehow, she managed to land on the only section that had any sign of life. It was too convenient, almost as though…

Someone had brought her there.

"There's something going on, Tavi," she said aloud, the otter looking up at her from its meal in confusion. "I don't know what it is or who's out there…but I'm going to find out."

Hooray! Lauren has survived her first day on a seemingly deserted island and gets to spend her first night in a cozy—if dusty—shack! But who built it? Are they still alive on the island? Who wrapped the cuts on her arms and left her on the beach in an oh-so-convenient location? Nobody knows ~O3O~ *noodley arms of spookiness*

Okay, so a couple of notes on this chapter:

This one was pretty difficult because it's hard to figure out how to write a proper "waking up on the beach" sort of deal and making it sound convincing enough without being too focused on unnecessary details, and I had a HELLUVA time getting through it. Also, I am aware that it's a bit of a slower pacing in this chapter, but I did a bit of research into it and one of the things that seemed to be a consensus "To-Do" is that it's important to start thinking of water, food, and shelter before you worry about the "Who-what-where-when-why" part of things!

Okay, so Tavi. The inspiration for his name is based on an old cartoon/movie I watched as a kid called "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi", one that I rediscovered not too long ago on DVD and plan to watch again at some point. Plus, I loved the name and it felt fitting (despite this Tavi being an otter, not a mongoose XD)! And I know most of you have seen pictures of sea otters, but I had to do a bit of digging and research (and watch quite a few YouTube videos) to get a good idea on size for these critters, and they are NOT as tiny as you would think. 0.o Still cute, but definitely not the size of a house cat. XD

Anyway, as always leave a review and let me know what you think! And don't worry, soon things will get interesting and we shall see just what the island has in store for Lauren~! ÒvÓ