Emerging from my shadow, I was just in time to see Ribbon beginning to stir inside her pod. It wasn’t long until Mirage poked her horn through the material and drew my attention. Ribbon would follow soon after her. Once Mirage managed to escape the pod she started shivering. I pulled her into a hug and wrapped a wing around her, feeling her shivering lessening. Once she was warmer, I cleaned the goo from the pod off us with my magic. Once I was done, I felt her burrow herself into my coat, trying to warm up further.

“Feel better now?”

“Yeah.”

“Why don't you go to your room or find someling to play with? I have a private surprise I want to show Ribbon.” I said as I patted Mirage on the forehead. She nodded and walked off, probably still a bit tired. Once she was gone, I dived back into my shadow to retrieve something.

Emerging once more, I glanced at smooth, shiny black ‘skin’ I had added to the keeper from, pleased to see that I wasn't tracking bits of myself from my hooves now. If I could have right now, i would have grinned when I saw ribbon stirring and extracting herself from her pod. After she plopped to the floor, and wiped the gunk from her eyes and the rest of her body, which had lost it blue tint from before, though her eyes were the same color as she stared at me.

“Uhhh… Chi?”

-It’s me.- after a moment I didn’t get a response, Ribbon was starting to look worried. -I said, It’s me in here.-

“C-chi, why aren't you talking?” Why can’t she hear me? Was it something I did to the helm?

I nodded, before extending a tendril from myself and wrapping it around her barrel, before lifting her and placing her on my back. Her chiten had a bit of extra give to it, still being soft from molting. “You’re not sticky anymore. Were you practicing with your control?” I noded again, before taking the both of us into my shadow. Ribbon clung to me, not wanting to be left floating around again. “If you’ve been practicing with the Keepers helm, does that mean the Keeper isn’t sticky any more?” I turned my head to face her, before letting her hind legs sink though my ‘skin’ and stick to the abyssal beneath it for a few moments, before pushing them back out. “That’s cool.” She started poking and prodding at my shoulders. “It’s like a skin, but it’s far too smooth and you can will it away.” Ribbon got a worried look again.

‘Chi, why aren’t you talking still?’ I held a hoof to where my lips would be, hoping she would get that I apparently can’t like this. I’ll need to fix that little glitch later. ‘Did you just shush me?’ I nodded… again. Forming a tendril, I placed the tip of it on ribbons forehead, before moving it over to mine, and then holding the tendril against where my mouth would be, making a few bubbles in what I knew was a futile attempt to speak. “You can’t talk at all now? Even through our link?” I bobbed my head up and down in confirmation. “Oh. What is it that you wanted to show me?” Holding the tendril in front of her, I let the tip solidify and fall off into her hoof. I could see the island now, and begun descending as ribbon stared at the piece of hardened abyssal in her hoof. “You made a rock? Does that mean the island is solid!” I nodded as she made the connection, patting her on the head with a tendril. It wasn't until we got rather close that she noticed the trees, which, unfortunately, I still hadn't been able to get any color into, but otherwise, looked pretty damn realistic. Once I landed, I set Ribbon down and watched as she stared at the ground in fascination.

“It feels real, not like the wet goop, it actually feels like sand!” I watched, slightly amused, as she dug at the ground before moving inland where the new grass is. She played with the grass and admired the tree’s as we got closer to the cabin. When we finally reached it, Ribbon walked around the perimeter of it, looking confused. “There's no door. why is there no door?”

Walking up to the wall, I simply walked into it, feeling myself become part of the abyssal essence composing it, before reaching out with a tendril and grabbing Ribbon, pulling her through it and depositing her in the actual cabin. She quickly inspected herself. “None of the wall got on me. You’re getting much better. Now if only you could give that form some eyes and a mouth.” I shrugged my shoulders, before motioning towards a large beanbag for Ribbon to sit in, as I walked over to a table, I shivered a little as I felt the transformation reverse when I removed the helm.

“Wow, you never realize just how much you talk until you’re unable to.” I fiddled with the helm to try and fix this little glitch.

“I’m sure, I felt like talking to a wall half the time.”

“I’m guessing you’re wondering why there was no door?”

“Yeah, how come? I get you that don’t want anyone coming in here, but it seems a little redundant, considering where it is.”

“You're right, i'm probably paranoid, but i couldn't stop thinking about what i'd do if something i made became self aware and murderous. Hence, here. The island is actually just a gateway, where we are now is somewhere else entirely. by the way, enjoying your beanbag?” I said with a mischievous grin.

“Yes…” Her eyes widened in realization and she tried to get up. Her struggling only made it worse as she sank into the beanbag. When she finally stopped, her lower half disappeared and she looked rather annoyed. “And my butt has touch the floor, great. I have wiggled my way all the way through the beanbag.” I giggled, and with a little bit of focus, the beanbag got bigger. Ribbon groaned as it encompassed everything below her jawline, before I reached in and pulled her out, giggling as it some of it stuck to her like a catsuit.

“Well don’t you look sexy? Now then, you wanna go first?” I said as I levitated the helm in front of her.

“Yes, because other wise I’d be too tired or unconscious. You nymphomaniac.”