Trade: Slime Sister Saga (Part 4)

Summary: Following the events of A Giga-Sized Glow-Up, Celes wakes up with powers she has difficulties controlling,  coinciding with terrible, otherworldly visions. She meets more strange slime girls like Feza, but are they friends or foes?

A trade with MRGIllusion45, who provided the illustrations; story is written by me; characters belong to their respective creators.

[Story Listing]

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Celes twiddled her thumbs, looking over the ocean. The sound of the waves gently crashing against the shoreline was a tonic to her nerves. She never imagined herself being stranded on some unnamed island in the middle of the ocean... nevermind being stranded with another slime woman like herself.

Celes had shrunk in stature, that much was certain. Though it didn't make her feel a lot better, considering she still towered over all the palms. She didn't have an explanation. She was still exhausted from the prior day... but the idea of being unable to get off the island rather spooked her. Besides that, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.

Celes determined that if she didn't want to die on this godforsaken island, she'd need to flag for help. Or at least set up a contingency, to flag for a rescue.

Thankfully, she had access to lots and lots of firewood, from all the palmtrees she had crushed beneath her figure, and setting up a bonfire just shy of the beach was hardly a trifle.

Celes seemed to forget her size while she got to work; while from her perspective she had assembled something akin to a campfire, she stood at least twenty feet tall; the pile of firewood, dried leaves and twigs, and other kindling looked the size of an outhouse.

All that was left was to set the fire ablaze.Celes reached for two large stones and, squatting down, raised the stones together, ready to create sparks... but then she paused, recalling Astra's words. She promised to teach her how to embrace her slime powers. The uncertainty that gripped Celes gave her pause. So many strange things had happened, but, sure enough as she had been spirited away, she would lay awake with questions if she didn't get to the bottom of them.

Celes sighed, and cast the stones into the ocean, flopping back to a seated position. She rubbed her cheeks, trying to ignore the state of her clothes, now torn up and resembling a two-piece bikini.

...There was a figure that appeared in her peripheral view. Celes uncovered her eyes, then winced, and raised her hands to shield her eyes from the bright sun. There was a bird flying over the ocean, travelling towards the ocean.

"Is that... a falcon? A hawk?" Celes squinted, trying to make out the shadowy figure. "An eagle, maybe? Whatever it is, it's enormous, wow..."

Celes didn't fully realize the scale of this bird, considering her own size problems. It had an impressive wingspan, at least sixteen feet broad. Strangest of all were its gorgeous, scarlet down and its long tailfeathers. Celes had never seen such an impressive, or large specimen; yet, to Celes' current size, it certainly looked the size of a large bird.

She watched as it circled above her for a spell, before touching down in front of her, just within reach of Celes. Celes admired its impressive talons, clawing at the beach. It fearlessly approached Celes; she admired its glossy sheen.

"Gorgeous..." Celes cooed. She outstretched a hand carefully, hesitating as the falcon looked squarely at her. Its eyes flashed with intelligence, and Celes could feel herself being appraised.

The falcon cooed, ruffling its features, and stood pat. Celes took a chance to reach for the top of its feathered head... the falcon did not move. Her fingers brushed behind its neck, as she loosened up a bit.

"You look so tough... but you're really quite gentle, aren't you?" Celes chuckled, smiling warmly. The falcon approached, and hopped up onto Celes' outstretched forearm. Celes lifted the falcon up, allowing it to perch on her forearm.

Her heart fluttered and her body tingled excitedly; Celes was just excited to be so close to such a majestic creature.

"Are you curious?" Celes murmured, raising the falcon up a bit. "I-I never saw myself as a falconeer... a-and I never went to school for that, so I don't- I don't know what to tell you, heh..."

Celes chuckled gingerly, stroking its head. It stared curiously at the unlit bonfire Celes had assembled. Celes tilted her head.

"Gosh, you're just covered in dust, huh..." Celes murmured. "Oh, um... if you want, you could take a twig if you want to make a nest-"

Bloop. The falcon opened its beak and produced a large, floating bubble. Celes trailed off, watching with astonishment as it floated upwards above the fire. It turned, hovering in place with an otherworldly gleam. Celes marvelled at how shiny it was, and how the bright sun shone through it.

Crackle... Celes quickly realized that the bubble was focusing the sunlight into a narrow beam that ignited the kindling, getting the flame started. Celes made a sound of sound, and blustered more as she watched the bubble drift from side to side, carefully focusing light and igniting fires in different places, until in a matter of moments the bonfire was fully lit. The bubble disappeared with a quiet pop, and Celes was left with a lit bonfire.

She was at a loss for words. Did the falcon do this? What sorcery was this??

"Wh... what the... what did you... what are..." Celes glanced back and forth, seeing the bonfire begin to pick up as she had hoped. She gulped. "T-thank you??"

The falcon chirped, extending its wings. Celes could've sworn that the falcon nodded at her... if it even was a falcon. Falcons didn't breathe bubbles, as far as she could recall... though after the strange, last few days she had experienced up until now, she was more inclined to just... go with it.

The falcon spread its wings and took off from Celes' arm, disappearing into the foliage. Celes watched, rubbing her arm, the talon marks left behind quickly disappearing as her slimy skin swirled.

"Sure took off in a hurry..." Celes sighed, straightening up. "Seemed friendly enough, even if it was... um, breathing bub- urk!"

Celes yelped as she felt something slimy crawling up her backside, up to the top of her head. She winced as a yellow slimy figure bobbed in front of her face...

What are you doing over here, Celes? Why'd you start this fire??

It was Astra again, suspended in front of Celes as her hair tendrils embedded into Celes' head. Celes shuddered, feeling a buzz across her body as Astra momentarily numbed her body, though the faint tingle that followed indicated that a mental connection had reformed.

"I-I didn't start the fire! It was a bird that..." Celes thought of describing the bird she encountered, but thought better of it; it sounded too crazy in her head. "I-I was setting up a smoke signal, in case of a rescue. If a boat or plane spotted it, they could send help, and-"

Why do we need a smoke signal!? This island is supposed to be a secret!

"B-but how would we even get off? I can't carry you across the ocean again, that'd be- whoa, WHOA!"

Put it out!

Astra momentarily seized control of Celes' body enough to cause her to top over the bonfire, her liquid body smothering the flames in mere seconds; Celes' eyes bugged out, whimpering as the red hot embers singed her body, her amorphous body extinguishing the fire. It was a strange feeling... it didn't hurt at all.

Alright, it's out. Good. We're safe.

"S-safe from what??" Celes sputtered.

C'mon, get up. This is your new home now, better to get settled in. And you're already behind on your slime training.

"But... w-we're going to die out here." Celes murmured, sitting back up. "There's no fresh water, or electricity, or-"

None of these are things a resilient slime needs! You're still thinking like a human, Celes... ugh, we're going to have to fix that. Now get up, there's someone I need to introduce you to.

"Someone else...?" Celes blinked. Astra gestured back towards the jungle canopy; Celes lumbered along of her own volition, feeling a little anxious. Astra was already a demanding handful, and Feza could crush a city block if she so wanted. She couldn't imagine what another slime woman was capable of.

...Though the sensation of being watched seemed to persist as Celes, carrying Astra, advanced deeper into the jungle. Celes slowed her pace, stopping in a clearing to admire the plumage of the bright blue birds, all of which were perched up along the branches.

Why are you stopping? Astra's voice echoed in Celes' mind.

"There're some strange birds on this island..." Celes mused. She extended a finger, much as she had done for the falcon from earlier, offering it as a perch. One of the birds curiously hopped on.

Celes raised it in front of her for a closer look.

"And all with the strange bright blue plumage too..." Celes murmured. "I've never seen anything like it."

Bloop. Before Celes' eyes, the bird liquified, sinking into Celes' purple body like tar. As Celes' body tingled affirmatively, her eyes widened as she saw inky currents of blue spread through her hand, and then disappear, sinking deeper into her form.

"What?? Where did it go? What happened to the bird??" Celes croaked, waving her hand.

You absorbed it. Astra explained, matter-of-factly. Slimes don't need mouths to feed, you know.

"I ate it!?" Celes sputtered, raising her hand to her face. "No, that isn't... I-I didn't mean to-"

You've absorbed like twenty birds since arriving here, if it makes you feel better. Astra muttered.

"No, it really doesn't!" Celes clutched her wrist, feeling around. "M-maybe I can dig it out, before it's-

It's in your body's nature to absorb slime essence, and make it your own. Don't overreact.

"...Sl... slime essence?" Celes blinked. "Then... these birds... they're not, not real animals??"

Celes thought their bright blue plumage was strange, but she thought it was some exotic byproduct, some local quirk of the island. But as she uttered this, the whole flock of birds descended at once from the trees, swirling through the air as if caught in a tornado! Birds seemed to attack one another, smooshing into each other and flinging others about; splatters of blue slime stuck to the trees, before peeling off and rejoining the birds. Celes watched the curious scene play out with a mesmerized expression.

The myriad birds were fusing together into a single, bigger shape, quickly wrapping around a tree branch. The bright blue slime shuddered, quickly shapeshifting into a humanoid shape and then, right before it came to a stop, kicked their legs forward and outstretched their arms.

Some yellow birds emerged, previously hidden amongst the canopy, forming into a bright yellow raincoat and kitten hat, accessories which fluttered down slowly so the bright blue slime girl could slip right in. She beamed, kicking her feet as she clutched the branch. Celes was astounded at the sight of this small slime girl; the way she leaned back and forth with the widest of smiles, she had the mannerisms of a small child...

"Wow..." Celes cooed, marvelling at her entrance. Astra leapt from Celes' head to stand next to the blue slime girl on the branch, extending an arm to adjust her cat-ears hat... Celes blinked, realizing that the hat itself had cat eyes too... and she could've swore they just blinked, right then and there.

Celes, meet Marin. She's my little sister, and the caretaker of this island.

"U-um..." Celes forced a smile, and nodded her head, trying to get over the initial strangeness of this encounter. "I-it's nice to meet you, Marin-"

Shlorp. Marin beamed as a bump appeared on her shoulder, which quickly jutted up and took on the shape of a blue-and-yellow patterned macaw.

"CELES! CELES!" The macaw screeched. Celes blinked, glancing to Astra.

Marin can split her body into various animals... she's fond of birds in particular. She likes talking through her parrots, so...

"Ah, um, yes... of course." Celes grimaced, and nodded slightly. "I understand..."

At least Marin wouldn't need to brainwash Celes for them to communicate. Thank heavens for small mercies.