A moist, wet soil blanketed her feet. The warm air weaved in and around her body. A shimmering, blackened sea of water reflected in her eyes, distraught yet focused. And the sun, burning brightly and without relent, had begun to wrap the world around an orange glow.

A new day had dawned, and with it a new home.

The salmonling Jade continued to sit idly by a shore, taking in the horizon before her. This wasn't new to her, she'd done it many times back in Inkopolis. Back when she had any semblance of a normal life.

It always felt so refreshing, seeing the large body of light slowly depart in the distance (or in this and previous rare cases, seeing it emerge over the horizon) and brought a sense of peace to the girl. Somehow, just staring at that big ball of light eased her worries, if only for a moment.

Even now, a similar feeling was upon her. Warmth, security, peace, all these sensations fluttered within her mind as she continued to gaze at the sun, but there was also something else. Her eyelids partly closed as her frown deepened. She was alone, naked and on unfamiliar territory, with no way to return home unless she wanted to murder her lungs and limbs. She could almost feel goosebumps just thinking about that over and over.

Just how was she going to live here, alongside the very salmonids she so eagerly hunted down in the past? She knew nothing of their mannerisms, their routines, their likes and dislikes. Not even if they would see her as a weird, out of place mutant. There was so much she didn't know, and if there was anything that Jade hated more than her own insecurities, it was perpetual confusion.

"Unbelievable.. 'You'll be able to control yourself better by being with Shalmonids, durrr!' Great idea, Salem.." She mocked with a scoff. Jade almost wished for the idea to backfire if only to prove the aforementioned inkling wrong, but that would mean becoming a rabid monster again. She certainly didn't want for that to happen anytime soon.

Jade was so focused on her own thoughts she didn't hear the slurping and splashing of ink that was rapidly approaching her, and too late did she realize that there was someone else on the shore than when she felt something rough and grainy collide harshly with the back of her head. Bewildered, she whipped her head around to find it's source, but saw nothing that would lead her to the source of her sudden concussion. With no danger in sight, the salmonling turned her gaze to the shore and would've resumed her reflections once more had it not been for something else hitting her head again.

"Ow! Who's there?!" Jade yelled, snapping to the direction the object came from. Again, she could see nothing in her nearby vicinity at first, but a second glance yielded something of a discovery.

Off in the distance, she saw it: two smallfry jumping and laughing mischievously while throwing another pair of stones at her. They must've noticed her as well, for as soon as she set her eyes on the fishes, they immediately stopped in place. Her stare hardened and she bared her teeth in annoyance, and with just a couple of threatening steps forward she managed to send the pair of children into a panicked flee.

"Idiots.." She grumbled, relaxing her posture. She looked back on the shore, then to the conglomeration of.. houses in the distance. As much as she'd like to return to her contemplation, it wouldn't do much for her at the moment and seemed more like a hindrance. Her soured mood took away most of the interest, anyways, and Jade was sure that it could've distorted her thinking.

And so with one last shrug, Jade made up her mind and started to make her way back to the Salmonid… 'village'..

Oh That's right, she nearly forgot that the salmonids had an actual home. A village, to be exact. It should've been a startling but nonetheless simple revelation that engraved itself onto the salmonling's mind easily, but then again it was hard for her to remember many things at the moment.

Upon arrival, Jade was met with a very lively square. Dozens of Salmonids of different shapes and sizes scurried about, weaving in and out and around the varied constructions of scrap that resembled small 'buildings' and 'huts'. Many things happened in the span of a few seconds, some all at once even: near a pyramid-shaped hut a pair of chums were fighting over an orange gen, tussling and biting each other repeatedly. Right next to a large pond that lay at the center of the village, a trio of smallfry were chasing around each other in what looked like a game of tag. Between two buildings some Cohocks were carrying a set of metal plates over their heads, sauntering over to Jade and then away to parts unknown. The unsavory glances they sent as they passed by unnerved the salmonling, and she quickly sidestepped out of their path for fear something bad would happen. Said fear went as quickly as it came however.

Many more small occurrences unfolded around the salmonling while she wandered the village, some more violent than others. It unnerved her; the salmonids she fought during many a salmon run shift were wild, mindless beasts. These ones seemed a tinge more civilized, some even looked genuinely happy..

Of course, it was only by a small margin. Her sightseeing came to a halt upon feeling her right leg being grabbed by something small and squishy, and a peer down revealed a shivering smallfry clinging to her.

"Could you let go?" Jade huffed, attracting the attention of the smallfry. They looked up at her in confusion and ended up tucking themselves in further, leaving Jade confused. Were they hiding from something?

Apparently so, for soon after a small school of salmonids were coming her way. They all stopped in their tracks upon meeting face to face with Jade, however, and the excitement Jade saw in their faces for a few moments vanished. She glanced between the group and the smallfry clinging to her and her eyes narrowed.

"Ohhh,I get it.. you wanted to do something to this kid? To catch him in some sort of act, aren't you?" Jade asked pensively. The salmonids glanced between each other uneasily and muttered amongst themselves, until they all shook their heads in negation.

The smallfry clinging to her nodded affirmatively, however.

It is then that Jade grabbed the nearest chum by their head and brought it close to her, and with a scowl she threatened lowly "Lying really pisses me off, you know. If you don't want to have your head chomped off, you better leave the little one alone and scram."

Her threat did it's job effectively, for the chum she picked up hastily escaped her grasp and swam away, with the others behind it backing away and then leaving after Jade took a step forward and raised one of her claws threateningly. Once they were out of sight she brought her arm down again and dropped the tough facade almost instantly. The smallfry let go of her leg and chirped it's gratitude, to which Jade replied with a small smile"Any time," before she headed off somewhere else.

Rather, she was going to head off somewhere else, were it not for the same smallfry to cling to her legs again. Jade scoffed at this, and picked them up so that she could see it at eye level.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"Tailpaws lady nice! Please be skipfin's fren!" The smallfry excitedly yelled.

"T-tailpaws?! What's that supposed to mean?!"

'skipfin' pointed with one of its fins to Jade's swaying tail, then to her feet and called each by their name before yelling "Tailpaws!" again. "Other fish call you that."

"Right.. cute nickname, but please call me Jade," The salmonling clarified. What a strange title..

"Jeeeiiiyyyd?" skipfin repeated, to which Jade clarified him again. "Heehee, funny!"

She didn't pay much mind to that last comment, and with nothing better to do she sat the smallfry so that it clung to her back and continued onward with her wandering.

Her bizarre, clueless wandering of an equally bizarre and clueless island.

"A guide would be so helpful right now.. Too bad all I have is this little guy," Jade lamented internally, glancing back to the smallfry. It looked happy simply laying on her back, and despite not minding its presence Jade felt it more ideal to drop it wherever its family was and continue on her own. She didn't need a load on her back, anyways.

But Jade still desired company, however. And for as much as she didn't want to admit it, her chances of thriving in here and gaining the salmonids' trust were higher with one of the island's salmonids at her side. Until she could find a better salmonid, this smallfry would have to do for now.

She didn't realize she was frowning until 'skipfin' pointed it out, the smallfry now perched on her right shoulder. "Fren sad?" It asked in their shrilly, raspy voice.

"Huh? O-oh no, not at all! Just bored, I guess.." Jade replied hastily, yet it was enough to convince skipfin. Not that she was actually bored. "Don't know what to do here."

"Wha?! But salmons do many things, we never bored!"

"Like what?"

Skipfin hopped down from Jade's shoulder and scurried off to parts unknown. The salmonling followed closely, and soon the pair arrived at what looked to be a wide sealed-off shore, some paces away from the rest of the village, and a lively one at that. Quite a few chums and smallfries were playing and simply having fun either on the muddy shore or in the water itself, though a lone Steelhead looked like the exception.

"Pool!" Skipfin exclaimed happily, throwing its stubby fins in the air.

Yet the display brought little excitement or joy to the salmonling. "T-that's not actually w.. w-water, is it?" She asked, fear present in her voice.

She was a fool for expecting anything other than the eager nod skipfin gave her. "Pool fun! Want to try?"

"Um.. uhhh... y-you can go ahead if ya want! I'll- I will join you in a bit!"

Jade's eyes darted from side to side and every direction in which Skipfin was out of view. She waved the smallfry off, and once the fish was out of sight Jade heaved a long, tired sigh. Already, she yearned for a break from this ridiculousness. If only she were able to change back to her former self at a whim..

As comforting as wishing things away were, without the sort of power to make said wishes a reality Jade found nothing to gain from fantasizing. Nothing that would aid her at the moment, anyways. She glanced to the Pool once more and with a nervous gulp took cautious steps towards it.

Water. Its cold, stinging blanket that enveloped Jade whenever she fell off from the terrain of a salmon run, along with the searing pain that burst all at once throughout her entire body, incessantly tearing her apart until she all but dissolved into temporary oblivion was nothing short of frightening for the girl. She'd liken it to burning up. No matter how much she flailed or screamed for help in those moments, they did nothing to stop the inevitable. Her pain ending as soon as it came and respawning back to safe ground were meager comforts at best, but the worry that an unfortunate slip-up during battle might lead to experiencing that same pain again always lingered within Jade.

For that feeling to re-emerge once Skipfin told her of the pond would seem like a given. As one moment stretched into a hundred more, Jade was left helplessly staring into the tainted body of water. Would she feel pain again? Salmonids were able to freely swim in water without harm, perhaps she might be able to do the same thanks to her new body. It left her wondering, however: What if that ability didn't carry over, and the interference of her inkling half made entering water just as harmful as it has always been?

Only one way to find out. She just had to dip her toes in the edge of the pool, where the water barely reached her. She raised a foot up, but lingered for a moment before bringing it back down on the sand. She tried once more, but again was unwilling to simply plant her foot on the water and getting things over with. The risk of injury was just too much for her.

Jade turned around to leave, until once again she felt a pair of fins cling to her right leg. Skipfin had a look of confusion on its face as it asked Jade if she was entering or not.

"I'll.. come tomorrow, okay? Just not now," Jade answered apologetically. Skipfin only clung tighter to her leg and even tugged at it to keep Jade in place. It's efforts were nothing compared to Jade's strength as she easily got the smallfry off her. A sudden loud whistle startled her, and before she knew it she was lifted high into the air by a school of salmonids. "Wh-Hey! Put me down!"

From the corner of her eye Jade could spot skipfin among the crowd, looking up at her with a mischievous smile not unlike the two previous smallfry she saw before. This little brat.. did they call these other salmons? What were they thinking?!

Jade's protests fell on deaf ears as she was carried to a tall cliff near the pond. The salmons all cheered and hollered upon reaching the top, and with a collective heave they began winding up.

"Wait! I-I can't get in the water!"

"Sink or swim, Tailpaws!" One of the chums yelled excitedly.

"Prove yer mettle!" Another hollered

"Work fins!" A third salmonid encouraged.

The racket continued similarly, until with one last sway they all launched the salmonling off to the body of water below. The descent was fast, with little to no time for Jade to register what was about to happen. She was left helpless to do nothing but scream and flail around in the air. Before she knew it she hit the water, and once more felt the liquid blanket wrap around her. She curled into a fetal position, braced for the inevitable, yet it never came.

Opening her previously shut eyes showed the salmonling a realm of dark green all around her, with many small bubbles and particles floating about, though she was unable to find much else upon looking around beyond vague outlines and a pale light above. She could feel the water all around her, yet despite it's similar traits it all felt different this time. The water here was warm and soothing, perhaps even refreshing to her skin, a far cry from the one surrounding inkopolis. As if the constraining blanket from before could now enrich her, heal her and guide here where need be. Somehow merely drifting in this mass of liquid caused Jade to feel at peace.

Was this how it always felt like to the salmonids? How the ocean was supposed to be? If so, she wouldn't mind laying about in here for a couple more minutes, or even hours. Jade closed her eyes again, and allowed herself to be caressed by the waters.

That was, until she felt herself be clamped around the jaws of something and was then lanched out of the water.

It didn't last enough.

Some time later Jade had left the Pond in a huff, an ever-excitable skipfin trailing behind her. Her stay could've been a lot longer and more pleasant, if it weren't for a rude interruption courtesy of the Pond's resident Steelhead. And just when she was beginning to enjoy it, too…

The smallfry scooted closer to the salmonling and with a stutter asked "J-j-Jade like Pond?"

"Not a bad choice, Skipfin," Jade praised, "Would have been better if certain people weren't nosy, but eh, what can ya do…"

Skipfin emitted a happy chirp upon hearing that. "Is Jade going to do more things?"

"Nah. I'm pooped today, now I just wanna go to a bed of some sort."

"Hm.. what is bed?"

Jade looked at Skipfin incredulously, stopping her walk for a moment. "Uh.. it's where you lay down and take a nap after a long day. Small, kinda fluffy and soft? Don't you have one anywhere?"

Skipfin's eyes lit up and he nodded fervently with his head. "Yaya! Skipfin know of bed nearby!"

And so the smallfry led Jade back the way they came from, eventually reaching a small hut not too far away from the rest of the village. Strangely it was vacant and without an owner. It was a free resting place though, so Jade wasn't complaining. She laid down on the makeshift bed made of a large slate of rock and stitched together cloth of various random colors. A bit rough and somewhat uncomfortable when she laid down in certain conditions, but nonetheless usable, and far better than sleeping on the dirt while in open air. "Finally.. my feet were starting to ache. Thanks a lot Skipfin."

Skipfin merely bowed it's small body in gratitude, and with one last goodbye departed for the day. It wasn't long before sweet, peaceful dreams consumed Jade once more in her slumber.

A new day had dawned, and with it, new fears.

The sun had just risen over the horizon and already a few of the resident Salmonids were up and about, scrambling to reach their different posts and begin the day. Among these was Skipfin, still as jolly as yesterday, who was headed for Jade's new hut. Yet upon entering he found Jade mumbling and tossing and turning in her sleep, beads of sweat trickling down her snout and face scrunched up in discomfort. Skipfin looked on with worry; Something bad must've been plaguing the girl's dreams.

"Mnh.. no, please… I didn't.. mean to…" Jade continued to mumble. The smallfry felt prompted to lightly shake Jade awake, yet his efforts brought more than a stir. She jumped awake with a scream of fright and haphazardly fell off her bed. Jade frantically looked around in her nightmare-induced panic. Only noticing the presence of a smallfry backed into a wall brought the salmonling back to her senses, and allowed her to calm her nerves.

"Sorry about that.." Jade apologized sheepishly. Skipfin went to her side and asked what was troubling Jade, yet without even sparing a glance she answered "It was just a nightmare, don't worry."

She stood up and left the hut without another word.

Skipfin furrowed his brows. If that was her attempt at lying then she did a terrible job at it. Something clearly troubled his two-legged friend, and he wasn't going to let that slide. Skipfin didn't wish to be kept in the dark, so he followed Jade.

The aforementioned girl strode along the sandy terrain of the island and took in the gnarled sights, if only to keep herself distracted. Yet hard as she tried, one fragment of her mind always wanted to go back to that annoying, harmless, stupid nightmare. It was just a figment of her imagination playing tricks on her. The accusations, the cries of disgust, the shrieks of terror, the fingers pointed at her, The.. individuals from which some of them came from; Jade knew they couldn't actually harm her. Her.. friends? companions? would never say whatever insults her mind cooked up at her. It was just her insecurities playing with her, no?

So why did a pointless nightmare seem so damn scary? Ridiculous, downright idiotic! Things weren't going to end up the way she feared..

Yet for as much as she reassured herself and repeated the mantra ad nauseum, the lingering images from her dream would not vanish.

It was only by the touch of a slimy fin that Jade was then able to register how much of a crumpled, trembling mess she'd become while introspecting. She turned to see the smallfry at her side once more, caressing her scaly wrist and looking just as concerned as earlier.

"..Is Jade alright?" Skipfin rasped.

"Whaddya care," Jade shot back grimly, eliciting a flinch from the Salmonling.

"B-b-but you Skipfin's fren, a-and frens help themselves be happ-py, no?"

A scoff escaped Jade's mouth. "Do you really wanna be friends with a freak you just met?"

Her question disarmed the smallfry, who remained silent and looked down in thought.

"Look at yourself, Skipfin. Look at the others around you. Now compare all that to me," Jade instructed upon turning her body over so that she was sitting, and watched as the smallfry did as instructed. He looked just as confused as before.

"I'm not like you.. Or any salmonid really. I don't have fins for arms, I move with my legs instead of my tailfin and I can barely swim in the water. And all these activities you do that I've never heard of like diving into a pond or.. or whatever else the other salmonids do, they're scary to me. I-I can't do them."

"But Jade is salmon... Salmons no look the same all the time, yet they always work together."

"I already told you, didn't I? It doesn't matter what you think, I'll never be able to fit in with the salmonids. I'll never.. fix myself…"

"Then skipfin help!" The smallfry declared, sliding over to Jade's back and making repeated attempts to push her. "Skipfin help Jade be a great Salmonid!"

"Don't bother. There's not much you can do, anyways," Jade muttered. Skipfin was having none of it however, still insistent on getting Jade to stand up.

"May B not, but Skipfin still want to help fren."

Her expression of confusion masked the seething anger she felt inside. Any more of it and she'd swat the little fish away and leave him to rot. What was it with people being so insistent? A voice in her head assured Jade she didn't need his company..

She'd be lying to herself if that truly were the case. It felt nice to have someone to be with, even if they were mostly clingy and clueless like Skipfin. Besides, through him she could learn even more about the island and its people, along with simply having a buddy at her side. If she already earned the acknowledgement and 'friendship' of one of the salmonids, then earning the rest of the salmonids' trust might not be as hard as it seemed.

"I.. I appreciate it, Skipfin. Thank you." The aforementioned smallfry leapt into Jade's arms in turrn and nuzzled with her, bringing a giggle from Jade. She slowly caressed the smallfry, though it was a nervous action.

A loud screech suddenly broke through their ears, and the pair turned to see where it came from. Two figures, wildly moving about, it seemed. After sharing a knowing glance, Jade got up with Skipfin in her arms and headed to the source of the noise.

Author's Notes

Hello again to all readers.

Admittedly, progress on this fic has been far slower than I would like, mostly due to my own laziness more than anything, real life esponsibilites, and my impatience at not wanting to leave you all waiting too long. Such is why I decided to put out just part of the next chapter, at least to have something before it is truly complete. Still, I hope the content is able to satisfy you. Once again, feedback is welcome. Until next time, whenever that may be.