Chapter III : Power of the Sea ★

When Reed finally gains her mobility, she can't help but do the first thing that comes into her mind. Although she still can't open her eyes, she can still feel. She moved her stiff limbs and take her hand over her chest. With much difficulty, she felt the soft, delicate, and plump puddings in her chest.

Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze.

'...this size...Ummm... It was larger than I expected, is this B?' Reed ponder while rubbing and squeezing her two coconuts with her hands that almost regain their flexibility.

After a satisfying evaluation, Reed shifted her attention the the rest of her body. She really wanted to look what she was like right now. Anyone wanted to see a live living mermaid, not to mention that she became one now.

Reed clamped her hand together, but she can only form a triangle with only the tip of her finger touching.

Thin skin connects each one of her fingers together. Reed then shifted to touch her flexible limbs, her non-existing legs that bends over her head. 

'Really flexible.'

Reed feel the scales and fins attached to her body. Her scales are hard and smooth, but the scales around her torso are soft like its only purposed was to cover her most intimate part and being a decoration.

'Being a mermaid is such a marvel. Every appendages in my body have sensations and are very sensitive too. If I can stretch my body, how long would it be? My hair too, it seems quite long.'

'And my ears. They were not ears anymore. Fins that seems like a bat wings. Oh, I don't have sharp teeth, and my nails? It was trimmed? Interesting.'

Reed successively evaluate her body and became even more curious. She wanted to see herself.

She was a mermaid. One of the mythical creature on earth! 

Reed thought that she should get herself ready for this world was full of legendary creatures. So, to not be surprised and excited everytime she sees one.

Feeling weak and somewhat sore, Reed had an urge to stretch her body. Just as she was about to stretch her arms, her movement halted as she perceived that there was not enough room for her to stretch.

Reed frown her brows, feeling cramp and uncomfortable. Reed sigh, a bubble went out of her mouth. And burst when it met the edge of the boundary.

Reed reach out her hand to touch the cover surrounding her. She twisted and rotated to measure the size and shape of this covering.

She was inside a big sphere shaped covering. A big bubble that can fit an adult human in fetal position.

Reed wonders if she was inside of an egg. 'Did mermaids came from an egg?' 

This covering was like a thin membrane. It was thin and soft but was actually very sturdy. Reed tried to put pressure on it but her hand just goes deeper. It was very elastic and absorbed pressure quite well. 

'This thin membrane was quite well made, like it was especially made to protect. Is a fish egg actually like this?'

Reed actually have her doubts. First of all, why would she insists that she is inside an egg. The empty memory disks she saw in the new hall almost filled the entire room. If Reed estimation was correct, then that memories were at least hundreds, if not a thousands years worth of memories.

'This body was actually that old... Then should I thank the original for having her memories erased? Receiving that huge amount will surely leave this already weak and feeble body in coma.'

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...

Reed's thoughts was full of uncertainty, while waiting to have this body fully in her control. Her mind drifted far off and thought of her sweetheart.

After gaining her rational mind again, she really don't know what to think. Half of her memories were gone and this new body she obtain did not gave her relative information about the original.

Meaning, she was just like a new born!

No much worst, she bet.

Why?

Because Reed was sure that [Inherited Memories] was the memories stored in the waters of Oceanus. 

All residents will received them as long as they were recognized by the sea.

And she...

Only knew a portion of it!!

And her memories from her past life on Earth. She does not know if it was deliberated, or was just coincidence but all the memories she lost, if not about her, then it was everything about her Echo.

Reed does not know for what purposed but after moving her entirely different body. Reed can only think of it this way.

'Is it to have an easy access to whoever body I can possess? Or so that I can easy accept whoever body I came to possess? Or was it actually a universal law for someone after transmigrating?'

But she really can't think of any reason.

Especially if you sudden became a girl. Thinking about her gender, Reed can't stop herself from feeling her soft puddings again while in deep contemplation.

'If I became a girl, is there a possibility that Echo became a boy. Or is she still a girl?'

'Huh? What was her gender anyway?' 

Reed unconsciously tiled her head to the side showing her confusion. She address Echo as 'she' since Reed was a guy in her past life. So, she assumed that Echo was a girl. And she was sure that she was not a gay either.

'Echo was a girl's name. Reed was a guy's name too, but this body's name was Reed.' 

After thinking about many things, distracting her about her fears and anxiety. Especially about the memories containing Echo, although she was not sure if that 'Echo' was the one she was looking for, nevertheless Reed was still determined.

But for now, she needed to focused more on getting herself in control and adapt first. Before she can go find her sweetheart.

...

Fortunately, Reed did not need to wait for a long time. She finally able to open her eyelids. It took her a while before her eyes sight able to adapt with the light under these waters. 

The first thing she noticed was the covering. Indeed it was a thin membrane like covering. A huge bubble perhaps. Reed let a sigh of relief, confirming that she was not in an egg. Reed does not want to wait that long, she wanted to search immediately after getting out. 

Looking at the transparent covering carefully Reed can see her own reflection. Small face, so white and pale. Elegantly shaped nose line, and beautiful shaped lips, well proportionate and balance. Large aquamarine colored eyes that resembling gems glistening even without light, looked attractive, calm and serene. 

Then Reed saw her hair and tail flowing steady in front of her. Glossy tear shaped scale cover her entire lower body– decorating the sides of her upper body and carefully covering her healthy melons. It extending up to her neck, the scales was delicately placed on her upper body. Then upon the center of her back, a graceful looking fin was attached. Her dorsal fin stretched from her thoracic region up to her hips.

Reed then stared at her weird long hair that was drifting with the water, encircling her together with her fins. Looking all tangled that made her feel suffocated.

A pure white hair with platinum blue roots, and it was super long. Without the water to make it stay afloat, Reed estimated that this hair of hers can extend up to her knees. In addition Reed observed her flapping ears, the five hard skeleton that was covered with platinum blue scale supported by the thin, sturdy and translucent skin that was colored white. 

Her ears folded automatically expressing her emotions, like dog ears that goes erect whenever it was exited and folds down when it's sad. Reed's wings like ears flaps itself enthusiastically, thinking that her body is so white and blue. 

Reed proceed with her arms and hands. Her skin is white as snow, and her hands as she expected was connected by a thin, translucent tissues that seem easy to tear, yet it was actually very tough and strong. Her arms on the other hand was not all filled with scales, her fore arms was only the exception. As if wearing an arm gloves instead of a cloth, her forearms were covered by tear shaped scales that was either color platinum white or blue beautifying every part of her skin. Her pectoral fin that was attached to the side of her forearm flowing like a lengthy glossy sleeves.

Soon after, Reed stared at her tail that occupied most of the space within the large bubble. It was large half moon style with ruffle edges. It's excessive branching and overlapping made it looked like a beautiful dress dancing with the current.

Reed can't help but think that she seems to be dressed in an elegant and glamorous platinum white and blue stomach-baring ball gown.

Reed smirked and thought, 'Will there be someone to asked where that party is?...'

Burble. Burble. Burble. Burble.

...

Then from out side of the huge bubble, Reed take a glimpsed of a silver light orb floating aimlessly around. She looked around and she was stunned by the beautiful scene she manage to see.

Reed pressed her two hands and her head against the transparent covering just so she could have a better look outside. she sank, however she did managed to have a better look at surroundings.

Reed was inside a large, wide cave. A cave made out of white rocks. Diamond like crystals seemingly grows on the walls and at the ground. It sparkles bright rainbow light as it reflect lights. Glowing light orbs hover all around. And from the shadows she saw, Reed deducted that she was inside the hollow of the tree. 

The tree was colored white like the cave and the pointy rocks surrounding it, Reed even consider that maybe it was a rock too curved like a tree. The tree only have two distinct roots. It was large and wide that was twisted together like a spiral forming a diamond shaped hole in the middle before it spread its branches in many different direction. At the very top of the tree was a nests of glowing orb, it was resting in the branches and leaves of the tree looking like the tree itself was glimmering.

Bubbles. Bubbles. Bubbles.

Blop. Blop. Blop.

Reed opens her mouth and bubbles came out. This is the most beautiful scenery she had every seen. However, Reed lowered her eyelids and can't help but feel melancholy. She wished that Echo was here too. She was sure that this scene will brightens more and became more beautiful than now.

Using her two hands, Reed slapped her cheeks turning it quite red. She shakes her head, and closed her eyes. Minute later, when she opened her eyes again, a serious flash of determination appeared in her eyes. 

She was already in this kind of positioned and decided to just accept this facts and reality then move on. She still needs to find Echo. 

With a goal in mind, Reed's willpower and determination exceeded her mentality that almost broke apart.

This was Reed's specialty. 

It was one of her strongest assets, at the same time her most weakness. She can only focused on one thing at a time. If another subject, a topic or another events went ahead and squeezed themselves in Reed's mind when she was still focused on doing one thing. Then she will surely lost her rhythm. 

More importantly, Reed was also a person who does what she likes the most. Do what only interest her. 

And now that Reed finalized her goals, the first thing she needs to do was to get out this flexible bubbles.

Reed closed her eyes and she went inside her movie theater again. When she finally gain control of her new body, Reed felt some of the original's memories were unlocked and became available for her to watch.

This make her feel like she was doing some kind of a game. Once she successfully did some tasked, she will be rewarded by few fragmented memories.

She felt frustrated, but she can't do anything about it.

So, she will just watch it all to see if she can gain some few hints to get out of this bubble.

...

Reed opened her eyes swiftly. A glint of amused light flashed over her aquamarine colored eyes. Her lips arch up in a beautiful curve, and bubbles float out of her mouth as she giggled softly.

Reed felt like she just watch many tutorials. What Reed saw just now was this body's memory, no, more like the body specific motor memory. 

How to swim using her fins, how to glide, how to jump up to the surface. From basic to complex muscle movements, after Reed watched every single bits of this memories. It integrated into her systems automatically. 

Although, she still can't try it out since she was still trapped, nevertheless what's important is that she learned it all. That's how great Reed's mind is. 

What's more, this body seems to carries great talent and innate ability over water with precision and control. 

Like how a person learn to crawl and walk, this body's capabilities is so huge that Reed can't help but gave the original a shout of praise.

That's why after watching those tutorials and integrated with it. She immediately feel different inside.

Reed feel warm and cold current flowing from the waters to her body. Like a gentle stream of waters, the warm and cold current blended together inside her veins and circulate with her blood around her body. 

As the mysterious energies continuesly circulate within her entire system, Reed's weak and feeble body slowly regains its strength. Until Reed recovered completely, but she still instinctively absorbed energy from the sea as it keep on nourishing her body.

Over time, the warm and cold energy current, rest inside her stomach after forming a ball of energy. Like a ying-yang, the warms and cold energy embraces themselves together, slowly rotating as it give Reed energy she needs to continue moving her feeble body.

This mysterious energies is Reed's connection to the sea and the power gifted by Oceanus himself. That's why, there was two kind of energy flowing in her veins.

Oceanus give life to all sea creatures, and became the ocean himself. Every creature in the seas breathe in the waters of the ocean.

All sea creatures are connected through the water, and the seas was filled with it. This connection was the source of power and the thicker your connection is to the sea, is how powerful you can be.

The power of the sea is your connection to the ocean.

The ocean give them power and the ocean was Oceanus.

Reed have the Oceanus' gift in her body, different from the power of the sea. Unbeknownst to her, the royal family she was mocking in [Inherited Memories] was none other than her.

But she does not know that.

Because Reed does not know what it meant to received Oceanus' gift, she thought it was the same and that it came from the ocean too.

Awhile later, Reed raise her right hand and pointed her index finger, then slowly touched the transparent cover. 

Within the depths of her mind, Reed heard a soft sound of the wave. Calling out for her, happily and excitedly calling out in a form of a water gentle splashing.

Reed smile widely, her pupils thinned. Upon the touch of her finger, the thin membrane freezes. Feather like strips formed from her finger as a center. It crawled and scattered, like a flower and it rimes the bubble anywhere it touches.

At the same time the temperature inside the bubble dropped considerately below freezing point, nevertheless, it still remain at liquid state.

Until the whole bubble froze, turning into a white ball of ice. Reed can still peered through outside but it was all blur. 

Using the same hand, Reed flicked the ball of ice and it cracked. The splitting lines run in all sort of direction in visible rate, and the ball of ice split apart.

Finally free, Reed stretches her flexible body. Reed, then inhale deeply, her attitude seems like a person who trapped inside a car for a long time because of long term travel.

Reed looked forward, she was not staring at any specific. She just gaze in front, that's all. As if looking beyond the walls of the cave where her destination lies and the beginning of her adventure.

'Now. Let's get out of this cave!'

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