[S] The New Hunt (Albatross)

[fluo]

Albatross' dreams were of their own making. With the nights becoming longer, sleep found her easily, but she was restless and had been for the past few weeks. Time had a habit of speeding up and slowing down around important events in her now Mare life. She hadn't quite figured out the rhythm or the movings and going ons of the swamp, but her hoof was almost close to the pulse. And so when she woke in a dream that was both foreign and pivotal, she didn't question it.

It was another day, another hunt. She started on the ground and followed her prey- an unlucky furbody to grace her path or rather, had the stupidity to not look both ways before crossing the clearing. She stalked it as she was prone to do. In this dream, she saw her prey dip into the waters and were it real life, she would have stopped; Albatross could swim but she needed to surface for air. But this dreamworld held different rules and her body moved without her accord. Into the water she delved and was amazed at how graceful it all was. Her hair wasn't clouding her vision nor was it creating significant drag. Alarmed that she somehow was going bald, she reached up with her front hoof to check out her illustrious mane. What greeted her was neither hoof nor taloned claw. But a tentacle. Several actually. She took the water like a hawk in a sky. Cresting for air just once to be sure she dove down deeper to new depths. She touched kelp that was still attached to the ground and was surprised at how her vision did not falter in the murky depths. She came across oysters on the seabed and pried them easily with her new appendages. She was surprised at her new body as well. It moved quite quickly in the water despite its rotundness. And damn, the MotherFather made weird stuff, but in her new form, she experienced euphoria scratching aside slime covered rocks on the floor. They were soft and craggy at the same time.

Up ahead, a large shadow briefly eclipsed the sun, plunging her world into darkness. And then she saw the glowing forms and patterns. "Danger" they radiated. Entranced, she swam closer and saw longer, spindlier She touched a jellyfish and was surprised at the sensation. This wasn't something she could do in her crane or mare form. And with that, she jetted off into the waters touching things she had no business doing- anemone, her tentacles into a sleeping moray eel's mouth, into a crevice deep into the ground that radiated heat, and lastly some sea urchins. She did not recommend the sea urchins. Her tentacles definitely felt pain and her new form was not impervious to their tiny spines. They were the water's equivalent of a cactus and both were unfriendly fiends. Finally worn out, she swam back to the surface and tried her best to mimic the flying fish. She fell flat on her face but with a smile. Beneath her, larger fish circled, their teeths menacing. Oh, it was going to be a fun hunt.