Changed - Awakening

13. Of Sharks and Rulers

Special thanks to my proofreaders: Lil_proto, Kranfoel and Delta! (Chapter was delayed a bit since Kranfoel and Lil_Proto pointed out an important detail that needs fixin')

'That was rather reckless human,' Breton scolds, swimming out of the cave and keeping you as his host.

You can't help but hate the fact that you are being used by these aquatic latex creatures for their own gain, especially for means of invasion!

'He is literally saying that he is invading the lands! I don't want him to attack and hurt my people!'

'But didn't you lose all your memories?'

'That's irrelevant! I don't want people getting hurt because of me! I want to see others of my kind again, not see them getting killed!'

'You are implying that we are heartless?'

'Says the shark who tried to assimilate me,' You reply snarky.

'That's only because we didn't know. You know the laws of nature right? We tried to assimilate you because we didn't know, and my squad failed to realise that you are an intelligent being. You are alien to us.'

'You are alien to me! I didn't want this!'

'Then why ARE you here? You came into our home, so we take action because we don't know who you are. You don't even know who we are.'

'A latex shark that lives underwater?'

'We are more than that.'

You pause your thoughts as you try to figure out what to say next, the cool and calming waters brushing past your latex body as your captor takes you somewhere.

'How about...you tell me about yourself?'

'Huh?'

'If we are going to work together, then we should at least understand each other. Truthfully, I am rather excited to see a human that was thought to be a myth or legend. Especially knowing that you live on land, a world that is just above us. Everyone in these waters is curious to learn about the surface, the only ones who can get a taste of that freedom are Squidotters like Napoleon.

'What do you mean?'

'Squidotters are able to exit the waters and reach the surface, they have a small idea of what it is like up at the surface. They only know what lies above the waters, but not beyond these white walls. They could have all...left us all behind...but they stayed because they knew that we needed them.'

'What do you mean? Why did they stay? If they can leave, then why does Napoleon need me?'

'It's for us. The sharks, orcas, all the latex that live underwater.'

This confuses you, but Breton carries on.

'You see, everything is not perfect down here.'

'How so? Isn't living underwater your natural habitat?'

'Of course it is, but simply living underwater is not enough. Everyone feels trapped in here, human.'

Breton pauses, turning right as he swims towards the edge of the water, passing by another shark as he reaches a wall with a large window, revealing the observatory room.

'Yes, the waters here are perfect. It is pleasant to swim through. But eventually, you will start to feel the enclosure that you are trapped in. Everything here starts to feel smaller and smaller as you swim through.'

'These things, these clear invisible walls, serve as a cage to us. Mocking us...teasing us of the opportunities beyond that we can NEVER have. Every now and then, we see a latex walking past these walls, sometimes they stop by and watch, but they leave all the same.'

Breton reaches out and places his hand on the window.

'The waters here are getting overpopulated, there are just too many of us. Everyone is getting restless, everyone wants to go beyond and stretch their fins. It's even got to the point where Napoleon has to quell potential rivalries and rebellions because we are so desperate. We want the taste of freedom that you have, human, you and the other latexes that live beside you. We need you.'

Breton says as he pushes away from the wall and continues in the direction he was heading. You find yourself caught off guard by the shark's words, despite the little control you have, you find yourself peering through boundaries, the power to freely explore uncharted waters unlike any other, and yet these latex desires the same freedom that you have discovered. You wonder if the latexes from the jungle biome ever grew tired of the captivity they live in.

'Napoleon along with the other squidotters showed us what we could have if we formed together as an empire. I remember when everyone was so afraid of going beyond the surface, that was until Napoleon dared to go beyond the waters.'

'What happened?'

'I was there when Napoleon reached the edge of the waters, I tried to stop him but he was too determined. He climbed out of the waters and reached the land while I could do nothing but stay and wait, fearing the worst for him. But when he came back, that glint in his eye, despite it being only for a couple of minutes, he had seen the possibilities. He shared his dream and the possibilities of what we could have if we could go beyond just like he did, but...none of us have a body like his. And so we lay trapped here until we could find a way...until you came.'

'But why threaten me?'

'It was a necessary evil. He can't take any risks. He knows how valuable you are to his cause. For all we know, you could be our only chance...you and this power of 'transfur'.'

'Wow Breton...I didn't realise how important this is for you.'

Breton sighs in satisfaction, happy that you are seeing the bigger picture.

'How about you? You were from the surface, you say you had lost your memories. I can't imagine it being easy.'

'It's not. Everything I had seen felt so strange and foreign. I wanted nothing but to go outside and see others of my kind. I was so scared when I saw a latex creature for the first time, getting chased did not help either. I only understood the concept of 'transfur' better when I got caught by Hunter and Scar. Hunter helped understand transfur better while Scar was...well...he was just eager to have a human host.'

'What about you going into the waters?'

'I was being chased by a snow leopard latex, I tripped and fell in here.'

'But why run away from it?'

'She is very obsessed with humans. She was looking for me everywhere in this institute.'

'Where is she now?'

'I don't know, I lost her after she...oh god...after she got her arm cut off.'

'Ouch, gonna need some extra servings to regrow that.'

'What do you mean? She had her whole arm sliced off!'

'We can regenerate. We are made of goo, remember? She just needs to eat more and she can grow it back with no problem. It's perfectly normal.'

'Oh...'

'Wait, can humans regenerate can't they?'

'Err...'

'Yikes, you humans don't have it easy do ya?'

'No.'

Suddenly, Breton starts swimming upwards, taking you along as he ascends. The light shimmering on the surface of the water grows brighter as you get closer and closer. Until finally...

*Splash*

...you reach the surface.

'Here we are! The perfect place to start practicing, kinda nostalgic for me.' Breton comments, his eyes scanning just above the water.

'How is this nostalgic?'

'This is where Napoleon explored the surface for the first time. See that strange platform there?' Breton asks, swimming towards the edge of the biome.

Through his eyes, you can see a metallic platform at the edge of the water with a few spotlights pointing towards the waters you are in, along with rails that lead to the door just beyond it.

'Yeah, is that where Napoleon went?'

'Yes, and this is where we are going to start! Are you ready?' Breton asks, stopping by the edge of the balcony.

'I think so.'

'Alright, so let's do this!'

...

...

Nothing happens, as you and Breton simply remain at the edge of the platform.

'Yeah, let's go!'

...

...

...

'Umm...'

'Any second now!'

...

...

...

'You...don't know what to do...do you?'

...

'No.'

'Breton...' you sigh disappointingly. These latex creatures are sure an odd bunch.

'Ok, why don't we start by getting onto the balcony?'

'But I don't have legs. How can I even get on there?'

'By using our arms, we will pull ourselves onto that platform.'

'But I still don't have legs...'

'We can figure that out when we're there, I mean, I kinda learned how to use a tail when I was transfurred despite never having one.'

'Did those latexes teach you?'

'It kinda just clicked for me naturally just like them never having a body.'

'Wait what?'

'That's a story is for another time, let's just focus on this for now.' You communicate, motioning Breton's arms towards the Balcony.

'Wait wait, I don't know how to-'

'Just follow my lead, and we'll extend our arms over the platform,' You say to him, putting words to action.

Wordlessly, Breton follows your directions, trying to control his new arms. You both lean forward, reaching as further as possible.

'Good, now use the arms and lift our legs...um, tail, onto the balcony.'

You can feel the doubt emitting from Breton as he tries to follow your instructions to the letter.

At first, it seems as though there is no progress being made, your arms feel weak and heavy. As time progresses, you can feel the weight of your arms growing lighter as strength builds within them.

You feel the concentration from Breton, as he starts to slowly lift his lower body up from the waters. His tail lifts out from the water, throwing his upper body onto the balcony as his tail slaps onto the balcony.

'We made it!'

'Yeah, we did!' Breton cheers, a sense of pride and accomplishment present in his voice.

'Alright, now we just need to-'

Your thoughts immediately shut down as a more depressing matter arises, as your whole body starts to lose strength.

'Air!'

'What's happening?? I feel like my body is growing heavy!'

'I need air! Oxygen!'

'How?? I thought you already gave yourself the oxygen you need underwater!'

'Not working! HELP!' you mentally cry out, starting to choke.

With a plea, something clicks, as the gills supplying you the oxygen disappear, allowing you to breathe through the mouth again. You take greedy gulps of air, as your chest expands outwards and inwards with your breathing.

'What happened? Did you do that?'

'I don't know...maybe it happened naturally?'

'Maybe...when you were choking I...I don't know...my body felt like it was panicking. Like it HAD to do something about it.'

'Maybe it's the process of transfur?'

'Maybe...'

Taking a moment to recuperate, you regain your senses and composure to continue.

'Alright, let's get back to it.'

Rolling onto your back you look down at your large shark tail, envisioning where your legs are within your latex companion.

'Now we need to form legs.'

'Do you know how?'

'No, but I can feel my own legs where your tail is at.'

'In here?' Breton asks, flopping his tail for emphasis.

'Yeah, ideally we should try to form a pair of legs where your tail is at.'

'How?'

'Maybe we can use my legs? Maybe try to form around them separately?'

'Umm...ok...'

Watching the tail, you try to will your legs to slide backwards, retracting from the tail as you feel the latex body trying to compensate, stretching and trying to adapt. You feel your legs start to slide out of the tail as you pull them away separately. Breton's body reacts, pulling your legs downwards, but not towards the tail.

The latex on your lower body deforms, losing its solid state into a semi-liquid form as the latex follows the motion of your legs to go downwards. The latex stretches out, revealing a pair of grey legs, matching the style that Breton's body has. Once your legs are fully extended, the goo starts to solidify, moulding and taking shape around your legs, completing the modifications to your shark body.

You and Breton watch in amazement and curiosity as the transformation finishes. You shudder as you stretch your legs, the freedom to move them freely again feels pleasant. Breton on the other hand, reaches out with his arm and grabs a hold of the one on the left. Brushing his hands down, his new legs shudder as his hand brushes past them, experiencing their first sensory contact.

'Wow...I have legs!' Breton exclaims, moving his leg around with his hands, examining it.

You get a sense of deja-vu from the time you did this with Hunter and Scar.

'So what do you think?'

'I don't know what to say! This is all so sudden! I don't even know where to begin!'

'You can start by trying them out.'

'You mean we...umm, what's the word?'

'Walk?'

'Yeah walk, we are doing it now??'

'Yeah, I mean that's why we are here.'

'Ok, but how do we use them?'

'Just follow my lead. First, let's roll over.'

Following your directions, Breton rolls onto his stomach, his legs lying flat on the balcony along with his tail.

'Ok, we need to give ourselves leverage so let's push ourselves upwards with our arms.'

You and Breton then use your arms as you lift your upper body.

'Let's try grabbing that rail there, this should help us.'

Looking at the rail to his right, Breton reaches out and grabs the rail, collapsing onto it. He then pushes himself upwards as the bar presses against his chest.

'Now, we just need to use our legs to give us balance.'

Feeling a sense of doubt from Breton, you move your legs, pressing the foot against the metallic floor before bringing your other foot. Breton seems to concentrate as he tries to study, then mimic and follow your movement.

Planting your feet onto the balcony, you extend your legs, fighting against the weight that is pushing against you. Eventually, Breton seems to get a sense of what to do as the weight shifts, allowing you and Breton to extend your legs fully.

'Doing well! Now we just need to move them.'

'But what if we fall?'

'Let's just hold our grip onto the rail, so we can catch ourselves.'

'Ok...' Breton acknowledges, ensuring that he maintains his grip on the rails in case of emergency.

'Alright let's just turn towards that door.'

'Door?'

'The one that looks like a window.'

Breton turns to see the transparent door, noting where his goal is.

'Oh.'

'Ok, let's move our left leg first.'

You both sluggishly place the left leg towards the door.

'Now the right...'

The right leg then slowly moves beside the left leg.

'...preferably further than the left leg.'

The right leg hesitantly moves further than the left leg, causing your body to move. Breton draws all of his attention to the steps he makes while holding onto the rail with his right hand along with his left hand to keep him steady but ready to lash onto the life-saving rail.

'Do the same with the left leg...further than the right leg.'

'But shouldn't I move it beside my other leg?'

'If it makes you comfortable. We have time.'

You feel a small sense of relief emitting from Breton, as he moves his left leg next to his right leg. He then repeats the same pattern until you notice the lack of weight while moving.

'Ok, I think we are ready.'

'N-now??'

'You are getting the hang of it. We are going to move away from the rail.'

'But-!'

'You can do it.'

'I'm-!'

'And off we go,' You communicate, gently pushing yourself away from the rail.

Unfortunately, everything did not go to plan.

'I'M NOT READY!!!'

In a flail of panic Breton slips and falls towards the balcony face-first. Just before you crash, you and Breton feel a sudden click as your arms quickly launch forward and push against the balcony, stopping your fall.

Breton pants as he tries to recover from the fall.

'I can't to do this human! I can't walk like you!'

'But you can walk like me. You have legs and arms, you have the exact body just like mine! PLUS the tail, not to mention the ears and fins.'

'But I don't know HOW to use it! Even so, I don't know what we will find behind that door! Not even Napoleon can figure it out!'

'Maybe I can.'

'But I still can't get to it! I can't be like my friend!'

'You can Breton, you just need time and practice,' You coolly say, reminding yourself to speak in an assuring manner.

'...'

You rack your brain to figure out something for Breton to fight for, something to motivate.

'Breton, there are a lot of things that can be behind that door.'

'Like what?'

'Who knows? That's the best part personally, I have seen things that feel like an adventure. Sure it's scary at first, but it gets better as you go. Breton, you said you wanted to go beyond that large window right?'

'Yes.'

'Then this is your chance. You told me how excited Napoleon was, this is your chance to see what he was talking about.'

Breton gets onto his knees, looking towards the door, presumably thinking about the promises and the possibilities Napoleon had envisioned. Time passes as Breton gathers the courage to go for another attempt.

'I want to see what lies beyond, I want to go beyond our home and see what lies ahead.'

'The only thing stopping you now is yourself. I'm here if you need me.'

Breton focuses on the door, thinking of the possibilities, the rewards and the benefits should he accomplish this important task. He could be renowned by every latex that lives in the water! All he needs to do is to master this ability to 'walk'.

You don't know how, but you can feel the moment Breton is preparing himself to try again. You ready yourself, waiting for Breton to take the first step.

...

...

...

Something clicks.

As if by instinct, you push yourself upwards along with Breton planting your right foot onto the metallic balcony once more, with the other foot soon after. Extending your legs, you and Breton focus on the door, as if you both are sharing the same goal.

You both take the first step to the right...then to the left...to the right...to the left. The weight surrounding your body disappears as everything feels so much lighter, all your actions just happen by instinct. The pacing of your steps increases from a brisk to a normal pace.

You feel as though you and Breton are in sync, and you somehow know that this is exactly what Breton is feeling.
In what seemed like doing the impossible, you and Breton made your way to the door without tripping.

You both stop at the door as Breton's thoughts ring into your mind.

'Wow, we're here already. Did I...did we manage to do this already??'

'It's like you knew how to walk!'

'But I never had legs!'

'Exactly!'

You both gaze down at your freshly formed legs, adjusting the weight you put onto them, side to side.

'Is this how this transfur works human? Does it make us stronger?'

"Apparently it does, I remember how effortless it was to pick up a heavy box when I was transfurred. I was surprised when I learned about it with Hunter.'

'What else can this transfur do for us?'

'No idea, but let's not think about it for now. Why don't we try to go through this door?'

Examining the door, you both find there is a keycard scanner beside the door.

'We will need to use my keycard to unlock the door, hopefully, it still works.'

'Keycard? That small flat object on you?'

'Yeah it's...wait a minute.'

You both pat your hips, finding the lack of entry to your pocket. You forgot that your shorts were transfurred along with you.

'Wait, let me try something.'

You feel something deform by the side of your hip where you keep your keycard. Reaching through, your hand passes through a silky material as you grab a familiar material before pulling it out. Pulling your right hand in front of you, you both see the keycard resting upon your claw-like hands.

'Got it!'

'You formed a pocket to get it?'

'It's not that hard. So what do we do with it?'

'We slide it through that gap on that little black box there you see? That thing on the wall next to the door.'

'Ahh, I see.'

You both swipe the keycard through the scanner.

*Beep*

Miraculously, it worked.

'Did it work?'

'Try pushing through that door.'

You both then press your hand against the door, pushing it as the door gives way to the path beyond, revealing metallic cabinets with a few benches among some other objects.

You can feel your captor's- no, your partner's curiosity as he carefully steps through the door, looking at every object he can find. His eyes rest upon the black suits hanging on the wall along with some oddities, swimming equipment perhaps?

'What is this place?'

'Not sure, but it seems to be where humans prepare themselves to dive underwater.'

'Prepare how? These strange black suits? These almost seem like they are made of latex.'

'Think so.'

Breton hums as he looks at another object.

'What about that?' he asks, bringing your arm to point at a few large white cloths hanging by the door you went through.

'Hmm...I think they are...blankets? No wait, they might be towels.'

'What do these blankets do?'

'They are...used to drying ourselves after swimming,' you reply, deciding not to correct Breton's mistake.

'These things?' He communicates, reaching out to grab one of the towels.

The second his paw touches the towel he flinches, unfamiliar with the new material. Grabbing the towel, he brushes his paw against the towel.

'These blankets feel amazing!' Breton exclaims grabbing another towel before brushing his head against the fluffy soft towels.

While you don't see the towels as anything special, seeing Breton relishes joy from a simple cloth however brings a smile to your face...or was it because you are smiling with Breton? This transfur process is very weird.

'Napoleon would love to see these things!'

'You seem to like Napoleon a lot.'

'He is my friend after all! You won't believe the games we play, back before he became a leader to us all. He loves to wrestle, even though I don't have any limbs. Maybe now I stand a better chance.'

'You guys wrestle?'

'Yeah, he used to win against me in almost every match.'

...

...

...

'Don't you dare tell anyone.'

'These lips are sealed.'

'You better. Hey! We should take these back home!'

'Wait, You can't!'

'Why not?'

'It will get them wet, and they will lose that soft touch you love so much.'

You can feel Breton's ears and tail droop with disappointment.

Looking around, Breton gazes upon the corridor that leads deeper into the institute, where freedom is just within reach. Breton can almost taste it beyond the corridor.

'We must tell Napoleon the good news! Now that I can walk, I can teach the others how to walk as well!' Breton exclaims, dropping the towel onto the floor.

'Already??'

'We came here to learn how to walk. That's the whole point of this exercise. We want to see the world human!'

'But what about the door? It will lock if it closes again.'

As if by Instinct, you push the bench against the door, stopping it from closing.

'There, easy as that.'

'How did I not think of that?'

Breton ignores your thought as he walks down to the balcony, his attention drawn to the familiar blue waters.

As soon as it is within reach, Breton dives in, as a familiar sensation follows suit.

You feel your legs press together, as the surrounding latex deforms into a semi-fluid state, restoring the large tail just like before. You feel as though your oxygen has been cut off but it is quickly restored as you breathe underwater using the gills forming around your body, delivering oxygen through the respiratory tract. You don't know how you know this, but it's all there.

You and Breton don't question how you are able to transform so quickly, it's all just by instinct.

You and Breton quickly swim downwards, the water rushing past your skin as you swim back to Napoleon's lair.

'Napoleon would be so pleased to hear our progress human! We will be like heroes!'

'I am happy for you, but why are you in such a rush??'

'There is just no time to waste! The sooner we deliver the news the better!'

Swimming past shark to shark, along with an Orca and a Crocodile, Breton dives towards the cave entrance before slowing his pace, returning to a more formal posture before he enters.

'Maintaining your look as a second in command?'

'Hush you! It's more difficult than you think!'

Reaching the familiar room with the throne, Napoleon seems to be communicating with two other squidotters. Noticing your arrival, Napoleon quickly waves off the two squids, indicating a pause in their conversation for the moment. The squidotters notice your arrival and create space between you and Napoleon.

'Breton? Back already? Did you encounter issues along the way? Or is the human not cooperating?'

'Not all Napoleon, I am able to walk on lands with relative ease.'

The squidotters' eyes widen with disbelief, Napoleon quickly leans forward from his throne.

'Already?'

'Yes!'

'Breton, please tell me you jest. This could not be true.'

'Human? A little help?'

Understanding his request, you and Breton quickly form a pair of legs just like before, standing upon the grains of sand as you both notice Napoleon's gawk of disbelief.

'I-incredible! At a record time too! Although we need to figure out how to get past that window...'

'We did that already! Human had the key to open it.'

Silence fills the room as the onlookers gawk at each other, in disbelief that the impossible has been done, and so soon.

'This is going so much better than I thought! Human! You have proven an invaluable asset to our cause, and you have our sincere gratitude for your assistance. This transfur you introduced has gone...well...needless to say, beyond our expectations!'

You can't help but feel bashful at the praise given by the underwater squidotter.

'It was nothing really.'

'Not at all! You and Breton have done a lot for us today!'

Napoleon leans back into his throne, as he gathers his thoughts.

'Human, with your efforts to our cause, we welcome you the first land dweller, into our aquatic empire!'

A sense of cheering fills the room as you and Breton feel a tinge of embarrassment.

'Breton! Human! With your efforts, we have taken the first steps towards freedom. Human, while your work may be done, for now, we may need your assistance should the need arise again. Unfortunately, you would have to part ways with Breton for now.'

You can feel a sense of disappointment from Breton.

'However, I have not forgotten your inability to breathe underwater, which is why I shall get another shark to accompany you. DUSK!'

Heeding Napoleon's call, a shark from the onlookers swims beside you and Breton, trying to maintain a sense of formality.

'Dusk here shall provide assistance to your stay in the aquatic empire. He should be able to ensure your stay will be most pleasant. Think you can handle it Dusk?'

'Y-yes Napoleon!'

'Excellent. Breton?'

You can feel Breton tense a bit, hesitation evident as the other shark approaches. At first, you assume that Breton will simply expel you from his body for Dusk to take over. However, Breton outstretches his paws as Dusk takes him onto his own, leaving you in slight confusion.

'Let's just get this over with,' Breton says as he closes his eyes, leaving you in the dark.

'Breton? What's happening?'

Suddenly, you feel Dusk press himself onto you, and everything changes. You feel the latex from Dusk and Breton merging together, taking you along with them. You feel your limbs glue to your sides, keeping you still while the sharks completely merge together.

All you can feel right now is nothing but latex, the lack of eyesight makes you feel claustrophobic as the sharks merge into one. Right now, you feel as though you are floating in a pool of latex, similar to how you were once captured by the Behemoth when it absorbed you.

Strangely, despite the sharks being merged together, you still had an odd sense of who is who, telepathy possibly being the cause of this.

You sense Breton gently pushes you away, further into Dusk's hold as they start to slowly separate, allowing Dusk to take hold of your body as the latex surrounding your body starts to take shape, forming the shark-like body you are familiar with.

You can't help but feel a bit confused, why didn't they simply spit you out like the other sharks did? Just as soon as you think that, you suddenly sense the powerful pressure of the waters, just outside the latex that surrounds you.

For a brief moment, your hands are exposed to the waters of the aquarium, and for that brief moment, you feel as though something is wrapping around them, crushing them. Before you could struggle and recoil in pain, the latex quickly wraps over them, pushing away that crushing pressure.

You feel the latex clinging onto you, keeping the water outside as well as the powerful pressure that threatens to crush you, you can't help but feel oddly protected as the latex shields your body from harm.

And just like the other transfurs, you feel Dusk forming his tail around your legs, as your arms stretch out from your torso, completing the transformation. Your eyes then open as you look down to see your new shark body, or rather Dusk is checking his new body.

'I will never get used to this.'

Dusk ignores your complaining as he examines his new body.

'Hmm, so this is what transfurring looks like up close. A curious process.'

'So this is what it is like to have arms, and my tail. I could swim faster with this,' Dusk mumbles to himself.

'Dusk, remember the task?' Breton communicates.

'Hmm? Oh right! I will do my best, Breton! Umm, how should I...'

'Augh...why not show them the citizens of our empire?'

'Great idea, Breton sir! Right away!' Dusk exclaims, swimming to the exit of the cave.

'Enjoy your stay, human!' Napoleon calls out, as Dusk escorts out of the throne room, taking you somewhere else.

'Really Napoleon? Dusk?'

'Meh, honestly I didn't consider much if he would be fitting for the job. At least he is smarter than the others.'

'Hopefully, he doesn't bore the human with his unnecessary details.'

'Ah, I'm sure he will be fine.' Napoleon brushes off Breton's concerns.

'We'll see, shall I begin the process of teaching the others?'

'At once. This is just what we need.'

'There are just so many things I want to show you human!'

'Ok, like what?'

'Some of our gorgeous scenery, especially the ones with colourful corals, public areas where we gather and mingle, or even some of our feeding or hunting grounds like the one just up ahead.'

Dusk then swims ahead, brushing past some seaweed, approaching presumably the hunting or feeding grounds he spoke of. Upon brushing past the last patch of seaweed, a school of fish nearby swims away as he approaches.

'Oh hey, a school of fish! Folks love having these fish for dinner, so much so that they can end up going a bit savage.'

'Savage?'

Suddenly, an Orca comes by and charges toward the fish, catching one by the jaws and quickly gulping it down, chasing fish after fish.

'Oh...umm...I guess Ares is hungry today... let's ahh move on shall we?'

'Yes please...' You quickly reply, not wanting to watch the carnage.

Swimming away from the orca feasting upon the fish, you glide above the rocks, sprouting the colourful coral and small sea creatures.

'Oh look! An Axolotl!' Dusk exclaims pointing towards a small pink creature with his new hand.

'An Axolt?'

'An Axolotl. Napoleon once tried to add them to the army, maybe filling a role as scouts perhaps. It didn't go well though.'

'Why's that?'

The Axolotl shifts, looking up at them with a cute and derpy look with its tongue sticking out slightly. This little critter is nothing but cute and innocent.

'They are just too adorable to train, we keep ending up being too distracted petting them instead of training them. Hey! Maybe we can-!'

*SMACK!*

Suddenly something slams into your and Dusk's face, obscuring your view.

'AHH! Get it off Dusk! Get it off! OOF!' you grunt as you crash against the rocks as Dusk blindly flails around.

'I'm trying! It's hard to shake something off when you don't have hands like the squidotters!'

'...'

You give him about 10 seconds to figure it out.

...

'Oh, right.'

Halting his fail, Dusk grabs the attack and pulls it off his face, revealing an odd grey creature. The creature is flat and sprouts what seems like a pair of wings and a long thin tail.

'Stingrays...we've been training them to fling themselves onto others' faces to mixed results.'

You feel a sense of laughter or giggles coming from the stingray.

'They seem to like doing that?'

'No one knows why, but they find it so funny,' Dusk comments, releasing the stingray as it quickly swims away.

'I think I've had enough of meeting aquatic creatures. Any idea where we could go next?'

'Hmm, I can show you where we mingle.'

'Well, it's better than nothing...'

With the change in plans, Dusk continues to swim above the rocks, gazing at the colourful corals as he dives down the large gap hidden beneath the rocks, heading into a small underwater cave with strings of seaweed at the entrance. You can't help but welcome the more dark peaceful atmosphere, feeling your thoughts grow weaker.

Entering the cave, you see that the cave has more structures put together using bundles of rocks such as some flat 'tables' where the aquatic residents gather around with their companions, and some colourful corals are being used as decorations. There are even some glowing lights embedded into the ceiling of the cave with some seaweed holding them down.

Some of these 'tables' consist of sharks both grey and brown, along with an occasional squidotter, a pink Axolotl lazing on an empty table while its friend tries to wake him up. There is even a crocodile body wrestling with an orca while the onlookers cheer them on. Slightly hidden at the corner of it all is a large anthropomorphic orca with...two...three heads?? They seem to be feasting on a pile of fish on the table.

Dusk takes notice of your shock and addresses it.

'We are all just as shocked as you are human. I remember when everyone was terrified of...them...when they first introduced themselves.'

'Does anyone know where they came from? How did they manage to get a body like that?'

'No one knows! No one could even manage to get them to speak without saying three-part riddles yet. All we know is that they are a bunch of softies...'

The giant hydrorca sweeps up a table full of fish with its paws as all three heads charge into their feast savagely.

'...unless they're hungry.'

You tear your gaze away from the carnage and try to look at something else to distract yourself. Looking up, you gaze at the glowing lights hanging on the ceiling with the seaweed attached to them.

'Where did you get those lights?'

'They were scattered all over our home, we just decided to take these and put them where we feel they are needed. We don't know how they work but we figured they'd lighten up the mood here.'

'Huh, you guys seem to have everything you need.'

'More or less.'

Swimming to an open table, Dusk lies in front of the table before remembering that he now has a pair of arms, adjusting himself to make himself more comfortable by leaning onto the table using the arms. You did absolutely nothing, feeling as though you don't have the strength or the mindset to move, everything is under Dusk's movements and decisions.

'It's strange...these arms, it's only been an hour and I feel as if I always had these in my entire life. Everything just feels strange yet so...right. Is this how you felt human?'

'All the time. It kinda scares me how natural this feels. Having a tail is one thing, but breathing underwater? I don't even know how I am doing this.'

'Hmm, perhaps the process of this 'transfur' links up with our instincts? Could explain how everything feels natural. Maybe it links up with our telepathy and...'

You start to lose focus on Dusk's telepathic thoughts, everything is just starting to feel empty...your eyes demand to close yet a part of you tries to keep them wide open. The conflicting thoughts are slowly sending you into a paralysis state.

...

...

'Hu...human? Are...there? You are slipping...'

A more powerful thought strikes your mind, releasing you from your paralysis state. Dusk manages to pull you back into a more active state.

'I'm fine, I just feel...tired.'

'Oh? Is that all? I thought it might be something worse, I can barely pick up the link. How about I take us somewhere to rest. It isn't too far from here.'

'Yes...'

You don't have the mental strength to form a complete sentence, your mind demanding you to rest as soon as possible.

'Alright, we are leaving, maybe we will come back here another time. Wait no, that can't work, I have a job tomorrow, but I will figure something out ok? Just hang tight and...find...to rest....'

You couldn't pick anything up as you fall into a state of unconsciousness, feeling as though you are gently floating into a quiet space, as cool gentle breezes wash past your skin. It feels as though you are flying right now.

...

And then...everything seems to settle and take shape...

...

"Wow...are these those 'lifeforms' you have been working on Dr. Klein?"

"All of us, Colin, yes. These are actually aliens, we had some help from the black latex." Doctor K says, donning his white lab coat while scribbling notes on his notepad while you observe the strange creatures behind the glass container.

"Wait, they are aliens?"

"That's correct, we were merely given the means to create these creatures."

The small biome is covered with white goo everywhere, while sentient goo creatures crawl through the floor, trying to gather up as much goo as they can. Eventually, one of the goo creatures gathers enough goo as it builds up, stretching upwards a head takes shape, two arms stretch out from its torso.

The goo creature forms two triangular ears on the top of its head while a large bushy tail forms behind its hips, eventually forming a pair of two legs.

If anything...it looks like a weird white wolf, except it's dripping goo all over its body.

"Did you see that?? It became a wolf!"

"That's right Colin, they transform their bodies into anything they like, provided they know how to construct them."

You look at the strange wolf in curiosity, it doesn't seem to have any eyes and yet it seems to see you somehow.

"Are they what the institute made to stop the virus, Dr. Klein?"

"Indeed, creating a whole new species with the purpose to combat the virus."

"But why create a species? Is the virus that difficult to cure?"

Dr. Klein lets out a hefty sigh as he places his pen down on his notepad.

"I'm afraid so Colin, the Virus is simply too complex for us to purge, even if we find a cure, the virus would simply adapt to it in a single generation. The only way to defeat it is to kill it directly."

"By using these goo creatures?"

*THUD*

You let out a yelp in fright, as the wolf splats itself against the wall, drawing all of your attention to it. You feel anxious seeing it use its paws to try and claw its way through the wall and reach you.

Dr. Klein gives a small chuckle, seeing you so startled by the white wolf.

"Yes, although they are not quite ready yet..."

"Why is that?" You ask the doctor, getting up from the floor to dust yourself off, recovering from the small scare.

"While they do kill the virus as intended-"

"Yeah?"

"They, unfortunately, kill the host too."

"So you need to train them?"

"Close, it's more that we need to program them in a way that allows them to hunt for the virus without harming the body itself."

"Wait...you mean?-"

"They will need to enter your body to do that."

You shudder with the thought, darting a look at the wolf once more, only to see it finally give up its attack but maintain its interest in you, keeping its paws on the glass shield.

"You mean...this entire wolf...would enter my body?"

"Not all of it! Goodness no! Just a small amount so it can kill the virus, we don't want them to permanently change your cells after all."

You feel a small sense of relief, but still...you can't help but feel curious about these strange creatures.

Dr K finishes scribbling his notes before beckoning you to follow him before he heads further down into the observatory. The holding cells are filled with plenty of goo creatures, some in white, and others in different colours. But what amazes you is all the forms these odd creatures take, from simple and recognisable animals such as cats, lions, squirrels, and birds...to dragons, snakes, and gryphons, you even see a spider with traits of a tiger!

"Fascinating creatures aren't they Colin?"

"Yeah...but why are all of them taking the forms of animals? Mythical ones too, what's up with that?"

"It is what we added in when creating them, we erm...did this so they are more 'familiar' and approachable."

"But why have ones like that spider over there?"

"Hmm, I think this one has a preference for many limbs. Quite an intelligent one too."

You gaze at the spider once more, resting peacefully on its web before you move on. You always liked animals, but this is a whole new level. You feel both nervous and curious...what would the world be like with these strange alien creatures?

"So Colin, what do you think of the latex creatures?"

"Latex? Are they made of Latex?"

"Not at all, it's just that they do have similar traits to the material...but the scientists got tired of calling them 'goo monsters' and just went with the term 'latex', and the name just stuck.

"Oh..."

You pause in thought, trying to gather your thoughts with everything you saw.

"So...what do you think the world will be like with them? Do you think we can live with them?"

"As companions of a sort?"

You nod in response, confirming his thought.

"Perhaps, but that has yet to be seen. If things go as planned, perhaps we can stop the virus before it truly harms us all."

...

And then... everything becomes a blur.

...

You shuffle a bit as you feel your surroundings change from that dream to reality.

With a crack of an eye, you peer into a dark area with little lighting, another cave perhaps? You see there are other sharks nearby resting upon a makeshift bed, lying on seaweed on grains of sand. You notice you are laying on a bed of seaweed while something pink rests against your shark body...

Oh, wait, it's an Axolotl, cuddling close to you and Dusk with your arm holding it close. You don't know why it's here...but you don't mind at all. The Axolotl shuffles, leaning closer to you as it rests its head upon your upper chest.

'Adorable...' you think to yourself, adjusting your arm to make it more comfortable for both you and the Axolotl. It's harder to move than you expected, probably because your body partner is asleep.

What just happened? Was that Dr. K you saw in your dream? He looked so...human...but if he was a human, then does that mean everything you saw was a memory? And all those latex creatures when they were first created? Does this mean your memories are coming back?

You can't help but feel a little happy at the news. At last...you will finally get your memories back! You don't know what to expect, at least you get to remember everything! Who you are...this institute...your past...everything! Answers to all of your questions will come at last...but what will you find?

'Guess I will have to wait and see.'

Your memories can wait, after all...you still feel very tired, and you don't want to disturb Dusk and this adorable little pink critter's slumber.

Closing your eyes...you return back into the world of sleep once more.