The Scorching Depths

[bc56]

Endless Tempest
"I could swear that... It's fine, it's probably nothing." Mary clears her head.
They approach the door to the next floating tower.
Mary knocks on it.
No wait, that's not right. She knocks it down with one stroke of her claws. Then she lowers herself down so that Bella is right next to the doorway. "You go first, I'll follow you."
The room beyond is outfitted as a storeroom. Weapons, armor, and numerous other objects clutter the shelves and cupboards.
"This looks like somewhere they might've put our stuff." Mary shrinks down to her succubus form and folds her feathery wings behind her. She's kept the coating of scales and feathers that keeps her appearance modest.

[Rebonack]

[The Endless Tempest]

Yeah it was probably nothing. No big deal best just not think about it much.

Bella scrambles down off her sister, heading in through the door and immediately eyeing any other entrances or exits a badguy might come piling in through. Definitely the instincts of caped heroics there.

"Looks like an armory," Bella says as she looks over the room. "Our stuff might be locked up in here? Maybe look for a strong box or something?"

[bc56]

The Endless Tempest
There are two other exits from the room, both locked steel doors charged with electricity.
Searching the room turns up a plethora of locked containers, but the escapees don't have a ton of time. Is there any way to narrow the search?
"I think we can ignore these ones," Mary indicates, setting a couple of fist-sized cases aside, "They're too small to fit our things."

[Rebonack]

[The Endless Tempest]

A giant mess of locked boxes definitely doesn't make this any easier.

"Usually stuff from prisoners gets dumped in a big lockbox? Maybe we should check one of the larger ones," Bella suggests

Are there any keys nearby?

Or are they going to have to force the lock and hope for the best?

[bc56]

The Endless Tempest
There aren't keys around and they don't have time to search, so...
The largest lockbox is forced open. It contains weapons; both medieval arms like what are typically used in the Depths and also firearms all the way up to modern handguns.
Similarly, next box contains body armor.
The third box, however, contains clothes. The princesses' regalia are mixed in with everything from rags to other well-made clothes.
Mary bathes both garments in her fire breath to hopefully kill anything left on them by the maggot demons, then slips into hers, vanishing her coating of scales back into her skin as she does so.

[Rebonack]

[The Endless Tempest]

Oh thank goodness.

Bella likewise slips her regalia back on, glad to be done with this whole ordeal.

...or at least she's hoping they're done.

Hopefully they aren't going to have even MORE nonsense to deal with. These jerks have already ruined what was supposed to be a fun day.

"Let's get outta here."

[bc56]

Endless Tempest
Once again properly clothed, Mary reopens the door and changes back into her gigantic dragon shape.
"I think I can fly outta here. Just hang on tight." The raging storm is far too hazardous for small fliers. It's probably still not anywhere near safe for something as big as Mary.

[Rebonack]

[The Endless Tempest]

"You haven't gotta tell me twice," Bella says as she climbs aboard.

Sekhmet is probably worried sick about them. The sooner they get home the better.

[bc56]

The Endless Tempest
And the dragon flys out into the raging storm.

A dragon ride would be very fun in normal circumstances. These circumstances are more harrowing. Mary immediately goes into a steep dive, then pulls up at the last second to skim above the thrashing waves far below the flying fortress. Lightning and thunder tear through the sky as the dragon and her succubus rider flee back to safety... Or they would if they had any idea which direction to go. It's really hard to navigate over a dark, featureless ocean. "Do you see any land!?" Mary roars over the storm.

[Rebonack]

[Slime Problems]

Mariblex steps through the portal from the manor, the infernal slime dragon carrying not their painting supplies but also a nice collection of loot! Including, but not limited to, some nifty enchanted clothing. They're in pretty high spirits after their victory over the idol of Juiblex and really they don't feel terrible about being an infernal slime dragon BUT they really shouldn't stay like this if they can avoid it. They're pretty sure they aren't in any danger, they had been careful to make sure the Mary side of their soul didn't get dissolved in the slime AND they've been doing their best to make sure their composite soul doesn't mingle TOO much.

It shouldn't be THAT hard to peel them apart for a soul magic expert, right?

Right!

With a happy caper to their trot, they'll approach the first palace guard they encounter to say, "We got into some trouble again. Where's mum?"

Hopefully they don't get interrogated.

[bc56]

Slime Problems
The guard doesn't appear to question Mariblex's identity. They have some sense of the princess's fiendish power and while it seems distorted, it's definitely Mary.
They're led through the palace corridors to the back entrance of the royal audience chamber.
Wait here. The guard telepathically communicates, I will contact her Majesty.

[Rebonack]

[Slime Problems]

Mariblex follows, sitting down near the entrance to wait.

...Bella is going to give them an earful for sure.

They had convinced Bella to take their place at some boring royal function so they could go paint and then THIS happens to them? They would be shocked if their sister DIDN'T poke fun at them at least a little.

[bc56]

Slime Problems
There are a few moments of awkward waiting. The marble floor is warm against their membrane.
Eventually Sekhmet emerges from the room, probably with Bella in tow. "Mary? What happened to you?"
Mariblex oozes flatter onto the ground under Sekhmet's questioning gaze. "We had an accident."

[Rebonack]

[Slime Problems]

Yep.

Bella is here as well. She's in her full fancy regalia which as Mary knows well she hates. Bella still has that odd aversion to being the center of attention in any real capacity.

"We? You're gunna have to explain that one," Bella says, crossing her arms and doing a mostly good job of trying to hide her concern that her sister got into MORE trouble.

Mariblex shifts a little uncomfortably. "We- Mary and Juiblex. We thought our fiendish resilience would make us immune to green slime, but we got hit with a slimed arrow. Getting it inside us gooped us. Once Mary melted into a puddle Juiblex absorbed what was left make sure our soul wouldn't corrode. We were sure you would be able to fix us once we got home, mum."

It is quite clear that Bella REALLY wants to bug her sister over the fact that she would have been fine if she had just gone to the dumb function, but now really isn't the time.

[bc56]

Slime Problems
Sekhmet considers. Mariblex withers under her mother's prying eye. "Juiblex? Isn't that some Faerunian demon prince?" she questions? "What happened? I thought you were working on a school project?"
"We were... Sorta. But there was a dungeon and treasure..." If slimes can blush, Mariblex is doing it right now, this is embarrassing.

"So.... Can you fix us?" Mariblex asks.
"I'll try but... Mary, this is a really bad time. The emissary from the Swamp of Terror is here right now and there's a feast later, I'll try to fit it in but I'm busy," Sekhmet replies apologetically. "Bella, can you take care of her for a bit?"

[Rebonack]

[Slime Problems]

"We were named after him," Mariblex confirms to the question. They probably don't need to describe the whole Terrible Revelation, right? That isn't important right now.

Bella gives a nod back. "Yeah I can do that. I don't REALLY have to be at the feast though, right? I know I was gunna do that but making sure Mary doesn't get into MORE trouble's probably more important."

Yep.

Crossing her arms and eyeing her sister.

This is SO MUCH WEIRDER than the big dragon thing.

By, like, SO MUCH.

[bc56]

Slime Problems
"No, you won't be needed for the feast," Sekhmet replies, seeming a little distracted. She's trying not to show her worries on her face; after all she has to step back into the audience chamber to speak with the emissary.
"Stay safe, okay?" She vanishes back through the door.

Mariblex shifts awkwardly on their haunches.

[Rebonack]

[Slime Problems]

Bella watches Sekhmet leave before turning her attention back to her sister.

Holy heck why can't she go, like, a couple days at least without something weird happening to her?

At the very least Bella's got the fox to gobble up any new weird someone tries dumping on HER.

"Okay so was the adventure at least cool? Like, did you find anything?" Bella finally asks.

If the adventure was cool then PROBABLY it was at least a little worth it. It's just gunna be a pain getting her sis back to normal but Bella is sure everything will turn out okay.

[bc56]

Slime Problems
"Some clothes that we think are enchanted," Mariblex replies, "But other than that it was kinda bad. Getting dissolved and then glooped into another person isn't fun and it's all so weird." They shift on their pseudopods. "We're aware that we were two separate people and we can mostly distinguish which memories came from Mary and which came from Lex, but we have trouble distinguishing ourselves. We can't even think about ourselves in the singular. It's so weird."
They pause.
"We bet this is weirder than anything you've ever been." It's an attempt at a joke. It probably falls flat.

[Rebonack]

[Slime Problems]

Okay magical clothes sounds cool.

"Have you got em with you? I bet I could identify them," Bella replies.

Oh!

That's right.

Her dad makes magical items for a living, doesn't he?

"That sounds way weirder than the you counsel. Or what it's like when me and the fox and everyone else are all together," Bella replies. Then she gives a snort of laughter at the weird. "I dunno. I was a pokemon when I was born. That's pretty weird."

Pokemon are definitely the weirdest.

[bc56]

Slime Problems
Mariblex nods and pulls items out of their bag.
- A glistening golden yellow dress made of spider silk and woven with pearls.
- A mantle that looks to be made of iridescent blue crow feathers.
- A circlet of living ivy with an emerald wrapped up in it.
- A powder blue winter coat with thick white fur around the neck, bottom, and sleeves.

The other treasures went to the other members of the party, but Mariblex did (rightly) claim a double share.

"Pokemon aren't that weird, they're just funny looking animals." They're a bit weirder than that, but not much, not in Mariblex's estimation.

[Rebonack]

[Slime Problems]

Bella watches with interest as the various items come out of the bag. "Oh heck they're all really pretty! The feather thingy kinda reminds me of the cloak of flying my dad made for me," Bella says as she eyes the objects.

Then?

She begins focusing her magic.

Not to create a pyroclastic fireball!

That wouldn't be helpful at ALL right now.

Instead she just builds up her magic and then, for lack of a better word, pings the first of the enchanted items.

"Hmm..." she hums, sticking her tongue out of the side of the mouth as she repeats the process a few times. With each repetition she gets a clearer picture of the magic infused into the golden dress. "Okay so this one's gotta be some kinda abjuration. That's protection magic," the teenage succubus clarifies.

A few more pings and-

"Okay I think I've got it. It's got two enchantments. One of 'em makes the dress turn knives like a suit of armor. The other one is... I'm not quite as sure. It's some sorta thingy that makes a spell targeting someone target something else? I think it's bound to the pearls."

Then she rolls her eyes at the pokemon comment. "They aren't JUST funny looking animals. That's like saying demons are just humans with weird colored skin."

[bc56]

Slime Problems
"Like reflecting spells at other people? Or maybe absorbing them into the pearls? That sounds useful," Mariblex passes the mantle over next.
"I guess? I don't know. They never seemed that different from animals. Except the ones that can talk. And the ones that look like people."

[Rebonack]

[Slime Problems]

"And maybe the ones that are people?" Bella retorts. Then laughs. "You really didn't get to meet me before I made my Wish so I guess it makes sense that you wouldn't know what it was like as much. Being a kangaskhan was just SO lame. Or I guess that's sorta how I felt about it. Like, if only I was human then that would be cool. But I guess trying to Wish my problems away didn't turn out great."

Wishing problems away rarely turns out great.

Lessons about trying to take short cuts instead of facing your problems and overcoming them yourself.

Or something like that, anyway.

Bella repeats the process with the mantel next, wrinkling her nose at it.

"It's some sorta... Conjuration and evocation? Definitely something to do with zappy magic and summoning magic. This one's really weird and tricky, though. The different sorta magics are all mixed together. I haven't seen anything like this before. Usually the stuff dad makes are pretty simple single-spell things."

Ooh!

Mysterious.

[bc56]

Slime Problems
"We'll have to try it out," Mariblex responds. It sounds possibly useful but also weird.
"We think our wish worked out better than yours. Although we did have to die before things got better."

"How about the circlet?"

[Rebonack]

[Slime Problems]

"I mean, I guess mine wasn't terrible," Bella admits as she picks up the circlet and begins eyeing it. "I still learned a lesson, right? That I didn't need to be a 'real' human to be happy. That's gotta count for something. And if I really feel like it I can basically be human 'cuz a succubus can turn into whatever."

That is, in fact, a thing she's managed to figure out.

She's definitely not as good at transforming as Mary is, that's for sure.

"It still feels like pretending, though."

Anyway!

Magic!

After a good several minutes of examining Bella goes-

"Huh."

And gives the circlet a quizzical look.

"Okay so this is definitely some sorta magic but I don't recognize it at all. I dunno maybe it's some sorta nature magic? It definitely isn't arcane or divine or infernal or anything like that. It isn't a sorta magic I've seen before," Bella says. Then grins a mischievous grin. "Pretty sure I can figure out how to trigger it, though. We can find out what it does the old fashioned way."

[bc56]

Slime Problems
"What's wrong with pretending?" Mariblex asks. "We keep telling you, you should have fun with your shapeshifting. Don't worry about being something you're not. You of all people should know that whatever you are, you're you."

But the circlet. "We can try that out when we try the feather cloak," Mariblex suggests. It won't be long before then; the only item left to examine is the winter coat, and Mariblex has a good idea of what that will do.

[Rebonack]

[Slime Problems]

"Yeah, I guess," Bella replies, though she doesn't sound terribly convincing. She sets the circlet aside and picks up the coat.

This one only takes a few tries to figure out.

"Oh! This one's easy. It just keeps the wearer warm and dry and clean. Like... you could chuck a bucket of ice water at em and it would just slide off."

Which is a pretty helpful thing for a coat to do!

Bella sets that aside and picks up the feathered cloak again. "So what do you think, just try em out now?"

[bc56]

Slime Problems
"We'll find something fun for you to do with it, just you wait," Mariblex responds. Bella's reticence is an alien concept to them, they don't really get how changing your appearance could be a bad thing.

"Yeah, let's try them out," Mariblex agrees. They have nothing else to do until Sekhmet gets back.

[Rebonack]

[Slime Problems]

Bella doesn't seem convinced that the activity will be fun but she's definitely going to give it a try. Either way, she takes the mantle and throws it over her shoulders. After a bit of fiddling she's got it magically primed and ready to go!

She just has to speak the command word!

"Unfriendliness."

With a peal of thunder that leaves Bella's ears ringing she suddenly has a pair of ravens, one on each shoulder. The birds are the color of a dark storm cloud and little crackles of lightning ripples across their feathers.