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The bubble formed around him and anxiety surged forth. As much fear had plagued him at the thought of swimming in the ocean, now he found the idea of being trapped in a bubble nauseating. A feeling which worsened as the bubble rose rapidly.

It only increased in speed and as it burst from the ocean's surface the barrier around him turned hard. The panic set in too late; he trashed against the clear glass. Stars exploded in his vision, a trickle of blood painted the wall and still he rose. Hooves, teeth, his entire body fought and with one last throw of his body, he sank into unconsciousness.

Bitter Heartbeat woke with a gasp, body shuttering as dampness soaked through his fur. A nightmare. It was only a nightmare.

In the water, Roses had swum to her hardest- flailing this way and that to try and get her legs to move. She was not a strong swimmer, no. Not that she was really strong anywhere, but this was a particularly weak front from her. Her eyes started burning, and for a moment, she wondered if this was the end. She had watched those other kin float beyond, up past the surface and to the end, and was that her sort of fate? Not to drift into nothingness, but to be drowned by everything surrounding her? What a wretched thought.

Finally, the water won over. Breathing out at once, the water overwhelmed her- crushed her lungs and pushed her downwards. It took her by surprise, then, when she could breathe... and was not dead.

Such a peculiar feeling.

Around her, Kin were changing their shapes- legs and horns giving way for gills and fins. Roses blinked, still unused to this strange sensation. Was she, too, due to change? Her eyes drifted shut, and she wondered... which fish would she follow? Such a decision to make, after all she had seen.

But... no. She knew where to go. In a short time, her legs were gone, and she drifted to the right, lost among jellyfish and kin alike.

Six of the remaining kin find their way into the pack of jellyfish, their forms melting from kin into pastel creatures -- and then, slowly, they will begin to lose themselves. The sense of urgency, the need to rescue the desperate filly at the middle of this madness, is replaced instead with a careless sense of joy and distraction.

Three will lose themselves entirely, forgetting family and friends, forgetting home, forgetting the lives they'd lived before they joined the pack. They'll float through the ocean in slow, sweeping movements.

At least when they wake, it will be more puzzled than terrified.





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Sorry you three: you took the wrong path, and your low scores/failure to post unfortunately mean that this is the end of the game for you! However, I request that you write a short reaction post in this thread -- either of your kin as he/she forgets life as a kin and joins the jellyfish pack, or of their feelings when they awake -- if you'd like to get Legendary credit for participating.

Those who opt to join the school of monstrous fish soon find themselves monsters themselves, ravaged by a horrible hunger. As a pack, they work through the waters, finding their way slowly down -- and, as they do, devouring everything in their path. The taste of raw fish might be unpleasant, at first, but they'll slowly grow used to it.

Slowly grow to like it.

And as this realization hits them, they -- along with their jellfish counterparts -- will fall through the bottom of the ocean, through a volcanic, blasting heat that bakes through them. Air will once again rush around them, open space instead of water pressing against their skin.

When they hit the ground, light as feathers, one hoof at a time, they will have regained their original shapes. The sound of the desperate filly will fill their ears, and they will find themselves faced with another choice.

To the left is a long, thin path that crosses over a pit of magma. They will have to go one at a time, as it is too narrow for them to stand shoulder to shoulder, without rail, only an endless plunge into a bubbling pool awaiting them should they lose their balance.

To the right they can just make out a path that is obscured by jagged, angry-looking stalactites and stalagmites that punch through the ground and ceiling like angry claws, water dropping down them only to sizzle, boil, and evaporate as they hit the ground...







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If your name is listed above, you have 24 hours to respond to this prompt!

Please respond with a short paragraph in which your choice -- right or left -- is highlighted in bold, and in addition, please roll 1d20. This roll may or may not be used to direct players back into the game

How lovely this was… to drift among the jellyfish, not a care in the world. Should Roses in Bloom have had eyes, she might have closed them, opting to relax and enjoy the simple state of being. What worries did she have? None, not with her companions. Why, she could simply let the currents take her, drift as she pleased…

Roses!

…Hm? Roses in Bloom’s hazy thoughts seemed to drift away from their clouded state, focusing in on the cry she had just heard. It sounded so familiar, so dear to her… but why? She was just a jellyfish… and…

…No. No, she wasn’t, was she? Her name was Roses in Bloom, and she was searching. For what…?

Roses in Bloom, please!

For Walking Root! She was searching for her dearest, darling Walking Root! How could she have been so daft?! There was no means for her to shout, no way for her to assure her ladylove she was coming… and it killed Roses, just a bit. What was she to do now? Drift, and pray she found her?

No. No, she didn’t have to drift. Not unless she so chose. Forcing her new form to work, the kin-turned-jellyfish swam down, down towards the spot here that terrible cry had come from. She was not an angry kin, no- nor was she a strong one. But if someone had hurt her love, had tormented her while Roses suffered this maze…

Someone was going to pay.

As she drifted downward, her former form came back to her- as well as the sensation of an overbearing heat. If Roses had been soaked to the bone in her initial descent (her memory betrayed her, still a touch hazy on the nature of her jellyfish form), the searing air around her had quickly taken care of that. She lifted her head and gazed about, a moment, trying to figure out what to do. If she just thought about this, and was cautious…

But there was no time! A piercing cry rang through her ears, shook Roses to her core. It took all of her mental willpower not to cry herself, so lost was she in this maddening quest for her love. Clearing her throat, Roses called out, hoping perhaps Root could guide her.

“I- I am on my way, my darling! I am sorry it has taken me so long!” Her voice cracked at the last, so nervous was she, and Roses could not abide with indecision any longer. She immediately sprang into action, barreling down the path to the left. It was precarious, yes…

But it also seemed less fraught with obstacles. If she could just make it quickly across, and not look down, she would be that much closer to her dearest.

The hunger was delightful, but sating it was even better. The pack worked together seamlessly, fangs flashing, tails lashing, ruthless, chaotic, perfect. She felt one with them, the taste of blood and fish filling her mouth, and for an instant she forgot about the filly and the dream itself and let herself get caught in the chase.

It was over too soon. As quick as it began, she fell through the bottom of the ocean and back into her normal form, and it took her a moment to remember she preferred this body, these hooves, her own fangs. The wail of the filly, this stranger in need, drew her back to the wrongness of the world, and again she found herself faced with a choice. Precarious path over a pit, or suffer the boiling rain? Again, her choice was clear. In her dreams she walked the cliff's edge, thrill seeking and fearless-- why should this nightmare be any different?

With confidence, she went left.