Both Rikyn’s and Yael’s exclamations reverberate (almost simultaneously) through the thick glass of the tunnel. Their words are muffled, but still understandable despite the crystalline barrier—her smile widens in the winged mare’s direction, just as amazed by this phenomenon herself, and the wonderment of the two women seems to complement each other. However, shifting her attention towards the stallion, Tiamat’s smile wilts a little as her lips twist into a pucker (though, given all of the astonishment in this situation, her grin never manages to fully disappear). “Rikyn—” she chides him disapprovingly, still fighting the smile that seeks to bloom again across her lips, “—that’s not a very polite greeting; or very civil, I might add.” She eyes him with a twinkle in her gaze, ultimately allowing her cheer to again encompass her expression.

Smiling wide enough so that her pearly teeth flash beneath the watery rays, the sea maiden floats closer to the glass, until she is able to press her webbed fore-hooves against the smooth, curved surface. This is partially to demonstrate the length of her transformation (because it’s pretty amazing), and partially to help steady herself against the gentle ebb and flow of the ocean’s steady current. Nimue, as equally enthused as her bonded, swims in little circles, chirping happily through the waters before she reaches out to Duir. Bumping her nose against the glass, she whistles loudly to the royal stag, making sure that he doesn’t miss this phenomenon.

When the golden mare and dark stallion both cry out their questions—again, almost in unison—the Ocean’s Light giggles, producing a little flurry of bubbles from her sapphire lips. “Magic!” She answers both of them, pushing herself from the glass. Whipping her leonine tail around herself and paddling her legs, she twirls in a circle. “I just discovered it now, isn’t it incredible?! I can’t believe it!” Thoroughly enjoying herself, Tiamat spins again, although this time it is less graceful as the undercurrent pulls at her suddenly. Steadying herself by flapping her legs awkwardly, she returns to her friends at the tunnel. “It’ll take some getting used to,” she says with a sheepish laugh, reaching up with a knee of her foreleg to rub against the strange gills that line her usually sleek neck.

“What’re you guys doing down here?” The blue Lady questions with a tilt of her head, the motion pulling her hair around her. However, before Rikyn or Yael have the chance to answer, she suddenly pipes up again, her eyes illuminating in another rush of excitement. “Hold on! Stay right there! I’ll come around to you!” She holds up a hoof as if to emphasize her request, casting them a crooked grin before she turns herself towards the shore. Nimue bumps the glass again before following her bondmate, leaving a whistle echoing through the water behind her.

Trying to adjust to the particular movement of swimming, Tiamat struggles between simply running through the water, and paddling. It is a strange thing, to pant as though breathing, but to have no air pass through her lungs—instead feeling something decidedly more moist. She exhales a puff of bubbles once she feels her hooves find purchase along the ocean floor, hopping once out of rapture before she climbs to the surface. For a brief moment when she finds air again, she has the disturbing sensation of drowning, but it quickly fades by the time she’s on the beach, breathing in large gasps of air. Glancing down, she inspects her now-normal hooves, trudging once more into the waters to see the webbing appear—still hardly able to believe it—before she twirls towards the tunnel’s entrance with a kick of her heels.

Embarrassingly, she stumbles once, having to readjust to solid ground again. Shaking her head with a snort, she opts for a wide-sweeping trot, the length of her tail curling and moving happily behind her. Close by, Nimue floats from one side of her bonded to the other, the two feeding off one another’s excitement. Before long, her two friends come back into view, and Tiamat can’t help but whinny to them in greeting. “Hello again!” She says with a brilliant smile, slowing to a bouncing walk, and settling to make a triangle between them.

“Speech.”