Reed was right, the naughty regal tang was named Dory. Although Reed was not hurt by the impact, she was shocked and surprised. Adding to the fact that her fish form was very cowardly and cautious in nature.
So, she passed out from shock.
Totally not from exhaustion...
When Reed woke up, it was already the next day. She wanted to cry in shame, she really hated this form.
Just why on earth did she suddenly became a fish! Reed lamented her misfortunes. Should she start getting use to it?
No way! Why should she!
Finally calming down her embarrassment, Reed finally get to see Nemo– looking frantic with worries.
Afraid that something unexpected happened again, Reed was watched over by Nemo, himself. He did not manage to sleep a wink after regaining consciousness and alertly stay over protecting Reed from harm.
And the instance Reed woke up, the fishes including Nemo brought Dory to her to apologize.
Seeing how the regal tang looks so pitiful, she was determined to talked to them. So, using her newly found knowledge, she closed her eyes.
"..."
Of course, her eyes remains opened, because fishes don't blink of closed their eyes. Ignoring the fishes' eyes that was looking at her, Reed just transfer her consciousness directly to her mind.
From what she had heard yesterday from Nemo, she thought that might trigger some changes in her Movie Library.Or might gain some new information from [Inherited Memories] again.
And it did. Not just some changes– it was friggin' transformation!
She did not go to her movie theater but to a different space. This space appeared when that ying- yang ball of warm and cold energy formed into her stomach.
She felt as though she was cultivating, but different from them. She did not need to absorb energy, the energy automatically came to her.
This the difference between her and the other sea creatures.
Why?
Because she have Oceanus' gift.
...
She focused and feel the presence of the warm and cold energy inside her body. Then surrender herself to the flow of the water.
This is where she realized, despite how she could have endless energy and can freely control the water, she did not have a full control over this body's powers. Because, if what Nemo said was right and according to the knowledge she has, then she can still go beyond of what she can do right now.
The surrounding fishes just watch Reed silently. They knew what she was doing and they were all very excited, yet there's this kind of fear lingering inside their hearts that afraid to be rejected by their own monarch.
Soon after, Reed completely felt different. It's not just different, it was entirely different. Like Reed just opened up a door to a whole new world.
This time, she was sure that she completely unlocked this body's capabilities. Although she still lacks practice and knowledge, but now she knew where her limit lies.
That ball of energy inside her body, vanished, even that separate space disappeared. After the warms and cold energies blended together, it melted inside her body.
Refreshing sounds of gentle waves called out to her. It was the same sounds she always hear whenever she uses the power inside her. But it was different this time. She was not controlling the waters, but was talking to it.
Three streams of water excitedly circled the small rose tail like little kids who surrounded their family, who finally visits them after waiting for many years.
It was congratulating her. Welcoming her for finally coming back.
After Reed acknowledged their presence, they disappeared.
But that does not mean that the surrounding onlookers did not witness the scene.
They all saw it. And they were all shocked and stunned. The surrounding fishes were in dazed at the miracle they have just witnessed.
They saw it!
They knew it was real!
The ocean was alive!
Oceanus. The legend of the great being was real!
...
Breathing through her gills, Reed practiced by opening and closing her mouth as she inhale and exhale oxygen through the water.
Then she big eyes stared at the crowd of fishes and tried to say few words with uncertainty.
"...umm...Hello?" After uttering incoherent sounds, Reed finally utter her first conscious word. (Remember in the previous chapter she subconsciously shouted few sentences before after being disturb awaken.)
The fishes still yet to recover their dumbfounded expressions after witnessing such legend, when they finally heard her talk, that made them stunned speechless.
Although talking have nothing to do about what Reed just did earlier, nevertheless, it was still good. She manage to unlocked her powers to the limit.
Watching them, Reed kind of want to apologise. She felt bad, it seems that this fishes thought a lot despite their small brains.
'Looked at them! Their eyes! Looked at their eyes!'
'They are open so wide, that it's scary. They're mouth too. It a perfect circle!'
If not for them looking the same, Reed will felt even guiltier. Thankfully they did not have any expression or else, Reed really does not know what to do.
Nevertheless, she can still feel it their chaotic emotions.
Reed actually not just unlocked her full power. In her eyes, the world completely became a different world.
Billions of golden intertwined thread filled the entire surroundings. And all of them were connected to her.
It was beautiful, but actually it was quite scary. Imagine the whole world being entangled by a golden thread. She can't see anything, and her whole body– though the thread didn't weight anything– Reed feel as though she was carrying the weight of the world.
With this, her first thought of being a no body within the entire ocean of Oceanus was thrown away. This made Reed sighed in her heart, just thinking about a whole lot mess of problems her identity will brought upon her.
Then, she remembered these fishes called her your majesty before...
She wonders if her identity will make finding Echo difficult or easy.
Staring at this fishes, Reed can't help but deeply sigh again, she better brace herself for the incoming future.
...
...
...
Snapping out of their dazed, all fishes congratulate Reed in a loud united shout. Then they drag the naughty Dory in front of her again to asked for forgiveness.
Dory stayed silent all the way, her mouth is pouty and she is always looking sideways. After the other fishes that brought Dory in front went back to watched with the others, Dory still quietly hover in place never shifting her gaze at Reed, looking completely guilty.
But Reed's attention was not at the problem. She was immediately distracted after seeing the regal tang named Dory.
She gazed at the sulking Dory and then at the serious looking Nemo slightly at the back. Reed stared at them back and forth several times with bright and sparkling eyes.
No one made any sound and just waited for their ruler to speak out words of punishment. The atmosphere carries deep and heavy chains of emotions like a prisoner waiting for the verdict of the judge.
Reed hated this kind of atmosphere, so disregarding all eyes gazing at her intensely, she stared at Dory.
Amidst the silent and heavy atmosphere, Reed's sweet and gentle voice sounded. "Dory right? Do you know a fish name Marlin?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
Hearing that question, all fishes can't help but revealed questioning gazed towards the beautiful fish at the center.
...
At the back of the crowd, two small clown fish nervously hug each other after hearing a certain name that belong to either two of them.
And Nemo stiffened after hearing that name.
Then Dory as the fish that was asked finally turn to looked at Reed. She doesn't know why this almighty fish just suddenly asked for Marlin, but she doesn't have a choice but to answer.
"...y- yes... He is Elder Nemo's son."
Reed almost burst out laughing hearing Dory's answer. Fortunately, she manage to restrain herself. But her flapping fins can't hide the fact that she was happy.
Nemo saw this, he did not know what made their sovereign suddenly happy but whatever it is, it seems that she was not angry and she really doesn't mind the thing yesterday. With this, Nemo finally heave a sigh of relief.
...
Inside, Reed was already laughing out loud. Who made this fishes be the characters of 'Finding Nemo'. More importantly...
'Elder Nemo! What the heck! And Marlin!'
'hahaha...'
'He became Nemo's son. Hahaha. Then what about Coral. Don't tell me she is Marlin's sibling. No. No. Hahaha... That's really too bad! Can't imagine it. It was too hilarious!'
Dory's answer already touch Reed laughing spot. After knowing Marlin existed she immediately followed it with a question asking for Coral.
"Coral? She is Marlin's twin..."
"Pfft!"
Reed finally can't take it. She laugh so hard that the heavy atmosphere disappeared almost immediately. Seeing her so happy, every fishes at the lake can't help feel reliefs.
And the two fishes who was just named, now arrived in front and immediately swim towards their father.
Two small clown fish cling nervously in both sides of Nemo. Witnessing this incredible scene, Reed can't help but laugh harder.
'Poor Marlin! Being a son is not enough. Turns out I was right! His lovely wife became his sister! OMG! Spare me!!'
Witnessing how Reed laughing and somewhat enjoying herself. Even though, they did not know what made her laugh so much, the mood still lighten up.
However, there still one question that lingers in Reed's mind that she never have a chance to asked. And was never answer for the rest of her life.
'...they are...salt water fishes, right? What are they doing in the lake?'
...
...
...
As the first creatures she saw and befriended, Reed really treasure her relationship with them.
She stayed at the island for three months.
She trained her controls, and reviewed her newly unlocked memories there.
The day when the ball of energy merged in her body, her movie library too, combine and became one.
Her previous memories from her past life and her new memories here, adding those thousands of sealed memories, her movie library changed. It became more larger and wider.
And that not all, she was no longer a little wisps but a little mermaid. It's like she trully became Reed– the little mermaid now.
Reed may be a block head but it does not mean that she was trully stupid. With all those memories combine, Reed have a hunched. Her instinct were screaming at her, and her fears towards those memories regarding 'Echo' complete vanished.
Nevertheless, she still decided to threw aside those guesses. Whether she reincarnate first instead being a transmigrator, Reed will first deal with the problem at hand.
More like, Reed wanted to evade all subjects regarding her past life together with Echo. She even felt thankful that her memories were sealed or the fact that she have a huge memory gap.
Why?
Because everytime, Reed got to see her past memories from her dreams...she felt like she was dying. Seeing her side empty...
Maybe she'll change her mind and abruptly slit cut her throat–
Her soul was twisting in pain, Everytime she thought of what might have happened. Her body was in coma for thousands of years. She was weakened considerably. She knew now, she was a ruler– Oceanus' heir– but her condition deteriorate that much and she was just recovering.
That's why, she locked those thoughts in and decided to face off much more easy problems for now.
...
The [Inherited Memories] section in her memories completely opened up. Every categories were now available to watched and Reed watched them all, while eating an imaginary popcorn in her mind, like doing a movie marathon.
There she finally managed to find out what those fishes were saying about the legend of Oceanus.
Reed of course knew who that guy is. He was the Titan of the sea, Oceanus. The guy who was tricked by Gaia into fighting the sky, but ended up as a loser and even manage to have his powers sealed.
Like what Reed had thought there was still more to the story.
...
Oceanus was of course, angered to death after knowing the truth. Even Dyeus shot thunderstorms all over, but that was all. He was not as powerful as before as well. He can only make storms and typhoon in one place at a time, and since cloud formations were predictable, Gaia manage to evade all Dyeus' attack.
And while the two of them was playing chasing, Oceanus blocked everything and stayed under the sea.
Long after, even Dyeus sealed the heavens, leaving Gaia isolated with her limited lands. But because of that, all living beings there grew barbaric. Always fighting for territories and resources. And with the ocean closest to them, they were inflicted too.
Oceanus was saddened that he can't do anything but watched everything transpired in front of him. The ocean too was isolated even if they surrounds the world, the too don't know anything about the land.
Carrying a great guilt and worries for not being able to support nor protect the creatures peacefully swimming within his waters. Oceanus can only sacrifice himself in order to granted his children great powers to protect themselves from harm.
Oceanus mutilated himself in different parts. Then he planted some divided parts into its respective places, that turned into its own magnificent glory and wonders that was now called the seven wonders of the ocean.
They were the seven points scattered all over the ocean created an invisible water barrier that protecting the ocean surface, and will gave out punishment to who ever dare to attack the seas and the creatures within it.
That's also one of the reason why only creatures who holds a contract with any water spirits or water nymphs can venture out the surface of the ocean.
It was pertaining friendly gestures that they meant no harm and was completely friendly towards the creature of the seas.
Unfortunately, only selected individuals has successfully made contract with them.
Then soon after Oceanus finished planting those parts. He gathered talented creatures and bestowed them power and assigned them tasks that they needed to fullfil or else their connection to the ocean will be severe.
He gave his body to the family of sea serpents to guard the ocean. He used his eyes to create Nereids to oversees the entire ocean, his mouth and tongue had transform into a kraken to punish any creatures dare to tarnish the clear waters of the seas.
Then he gave his eyes respectively to the Merpeople and his heart to Neptune, the god of the sea, to rule over all seas and the entire ocean.
At the very end, his head, his spirit and mind melted and became one with the ocean, and created a complete different entity and personality.
...
After watching this memories, Reed knew that heart now belongs to her. And that she was now the newly appointed ruler.
But she wonder why, she felt as though she was the most pitiful ruler of all. She was currently on an floating island, surrounded by bunch of fishes. Knew nothing, and was alone in the vast sea, currently don't know where she was.
Knowing all that, she can only sigh. With no memories, she will never find an answer except if someone would tell it to her personally. So, she can only carry on with her new life.
Well, At the very least she now knows why she suddenly changes into a fish. Turns out this body have several forms, she can also transform into a humanoid form too, which greatly surprised her.
'Then I don't have any problem going to the land now. Hehehe'
...
...
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