Story by LeiLani

It is difficult to fall asleep just yet so I will write.

The bed is comfortable, and certainly a far cry from my hammock back at home at the hut, but it is still strange to me.  Perhaps that is why I cannot sleep as yet.  Celeste has been just wonderful to me.
While I lay awake naked, writing this, my thoughts turn to the beautiful otter, her people, and the empire of Ahes. Even looking out of the windows now, I can clearly see myriad sea-life swimming past.
Every so often a few small fish pokes its mouth against the glass, and then drifts away, perhaps to join its kin, or to become a snack for larger predators.

I know enough about the sea to realize that it is truly survival of the fastest.

It seems so long ago, but it was just this morning that I arrived here, by pure accident.  I had been diving deep for oysters, to trade for some repairs on a vessel for a friend, a fisher-tiger named Gerrard.  My bag was getting full, and my lungs were beginning to empty.  I started to push off and swim to the surface, when I found my foot caught in the crag of rocks and coral.  I started to panic, shaking my body as hard as I could to break free, but it was no use. My vision started to fade, and the desire to take a breath was too strong.  I closed my eyes tightly and opened my mouth to give myself to the sea, begging the goddess to take me without pain.

And then another mouth was pressing to mine firmly, locking lips, and easing a few puffs of air into my aching lungs.  I looked at my savior as my eyes cleared, and saw another otter, a lot like me, and yet very different.  She was dressed in the most exquisite two-piece outfit, something I had never seen before, save for the tattered leather and silk sarongs and coverings I myself would swim often in.  On the top, the outfit curved across her breasts, leaving a little glow of blue fur-

Yes, journal.  I could scarcely believe it myself.  Luxurious, soft blue fur.  As she floated in the depths in front of me, it was difficult to distinguish her from the sea-water surrounding us.  It was her eyes that caught my attention first, almost violet, with pinpoints of white competing with black irises. They looked upon me through long wisps of stark-white, waist-length hair not with alarm but with calmness, and her peaceful nature rubbed off on me immediately.

Sheepishly, I reached down, pulling my foot finally free, and grimacing as a trail of blood welled from the ankle. She frowned and then chirrupped and whistled in my language. "You must come with me.
Your blood will attract the wrong creatures very soon."

She pushed away with her thick tail, kicking her legs slowly, and looking over her shoulder at me, as though expecting me to follow her.  I chanced a look above me, at the surface so very far away, and then at the lovely otter swimming from me.  Whether it was curiosity, or an inner feeling that I had a debt to repay, I pushed off the reef I had been exploring and followed my strange companion into the depths.

We swam for a very long time.  She would stop every so often to let my body rest and refill my lungs with another kiss.  Presently the depths started to lighten, as though a brilliant ray of sun had found a way to pierce through. As we swam further, I could see a bright light almost in front of me.

As we swam together past a huge clump of fronds and kelp strands, I beheld an amazing sight. Settled in the bottom of the ocean, what looked like a giant tree branched out into five huge structures built
from coral and a brilliant rock I recognized as crystal.  A more spectacular reef I had never seen before in my life.  I looked up, watching this incredible turret rise up and up, until it seemed it burst from the water.  Around this monolith, I saw huge crystal compartments attached around them, covered with domes to protect them from the sea.

I stopped swimming, floating there suspended not just by the water, but a sense of utter disbelief.  My companion churriped softly as she reached for my paw, assuring me with a gentle squeeze that I need not fear this monstrous structure.  I looked at her eyes again and slowly nodded, swimming with her towards one of the largest of the crystal structures.  As we got closer, I could faintly see the outlines of
hundreds of creatures milling here and there under the domes.  I inwardly gasped as I saw the thicker tails.

They were otters, just like her and I.

As we arrived to the bottom of one of the domed structures, there was a loud whine that rang through my ears, and then the bottom seemed to come alive, opening a huge set of crystal doors.  My companion smiled at me and swam forward and through the doors, beckoning with a few
jerks of her tail.  A wave of fear washed over me again as I swam through as well, and the large doors closed behind us.  The otter swam over to a lighted control panel and tapped on a small board with
strange symbols I did not recognize, and then the entire room seemed to shudder.  I grabbed on to my otter friend tightly, suddenly frightened, and she looped her arms around me, giving me a warm kiss
on the nose that seemed to calm me.

I suddenly realized I had not breathed, and my lungs were aching for air.  I started to part my mouth to hers to get another breath, and then I felt the water level in the room starting to drop significantly.  The otter smiled and pulled me up with her until we could both heave in large gasps of air at the surface.

"Where...where am I?" I was coughing a bit, having swallowed a great deal of water from our earlier kisses.

She smiled, floating up against me, our bodies pressed together.  I could feel the swell of my breasts nestling up against her own, and her legs brushing across mine in several strokes as we kicked.
"Ahes, ma petit loutre" she churred simply. "And I am Chevalier Celeste Undyne; Noblesse d'épée.”

"L-leilani..." I said in a shaky voice, uncertain of all her words, but feeling incredibly warm just the same.

As the water around us receded further, she helped me up to a large platform, offering me a towel before wringing water from her hair. "Clean yourself quickly, ma chère. She smiled, watching me run the towel along my legs and arms. "The salt water is not good for you hair, "  With that, she unabashedly removed her strange two-piece andthen stepped naked against to me, untying my sarong, the only scrap of clothing I still had.

"I...sh-should not...we..." But the deed was soon done, and I trembled, crossing my arms over my breasts again as I stood on my toes, feeling uncomfortable.

"Come along..." Celeste grabbed at my arm and tugged me into a compartment apart from the platform, and closed the door behind us. "Bathe..." She reached past me, nuzzling my whiskers as she turned a
faucet, and a cascade of silky, warm water poured down over us.  She continued to churr almost musically, getting a sponge and some luxurious scented soaps and creams, and I held as still as I could,
biting my bottom lip nervously, as the otter smeared and lathered my whole body, working the longest and the slowest against my breasts.

"The goddess has been good to you, ma mie." she said almost against my ear, and I whimpered in spite of my discomfort.  Her paws were soft, as gentle as any lover.  I thought of Gerrard's huge tiger-paws
massaging my breasts, and my discomfort changed into a feeling of need. Her webbed digits touched each nipple, teasing them into hard, swollen black buds, and as she pinched one, I could not help but gasp.

"You are as beautiful as a maiden on the day of affirmation. Your fur is lush and gorgeous with full and vibrant color." Celeste continued to marvel over my body, and I could not help but feel a sense of pride.

"Thank you, our fur is a sign of pride." I said softly, touching her now, drawing my paws along her hips and across her stomach. "It's said my ancestors grew up in the eyes of mother Sun."  Now I reached for some of the lovely scented soap and cream, and started to lather her as well. "and she blessed them with her spirit.  Our fur is a mark of her love, and shows that she will never leave us. It reminds us of our history, and where we come from..."

Celeste closed her eyes against my touch, and soon our lathered bodies were pressed together as we took turns washing one another, our soft churrs of delight competing with the sloshing water.  While we rinsed off, my new otter friend gave me another kiss, which I hesitantly returned.  It had been quite a while since my last encounter with another girl, and though I sensed she was close to me in years, I had the unshakable feeling that she was well beyond me in knowledge.

As if to justify my thoughts, Celeste pulled me away from the bathing area and to a spacious storage compartment close by.  "You will need clothes," she started to laugh, poking through a few colorful, unusual designs I had never seen before. "Oh, this!  This will do nicely. It will bring out your fur positively perfectly."  She brought out two small piles of clothes, neatly pressed, and then turned her back towards me to poke further into the compartment. "And...let me see...oh this, yes..." A small oblong box was brought out, which rattled as she set it down on a bench.

Then she did a strange thing.  She clapped her paws together three times, and immediately a secret door to the dressing compartment opened, and two fit female otters in strange armor of beautiful blues
and purples strode in.  I immediately gasped and tried to cover myself, my eyes focusing on one of the otter's faces, who had the decency to blush furiously.  They too were very beautiful, journal, and shared the same unusual fur trait as Celeste's - shimmering light-blue fur as smooth as silk.  Their eyes, however, were a piercing twilight blue, but not unkind.  Indeed, they seemed to indicate the same curiosity I had of them and their kind.

"Come, ma mie," she giggled, pulling at my paw again and hugging me. "Do not be shy now."  She cleared her throat and pointed to the guards.  "Leave us.  I can prepare her myself."

The blue-eyed otter quickly came to attention and said in a low voice. "By your leave, Madame Celeste."  She gave me another look and a warm smile before following her comrade out.

After they had gone, Celeste bade me to sit down as she began to dress, picking up each article and explaining what they were, before slipping, buckling or pulling them on.  "This is a pauldron," she
said as she finished dressing, attaching a silver plate with purple trim on her shoulder. "We use these so we do not cut ourselves on swords when we train.  It also affords us extra protection... based on the special way we fight."

"Protection from what?" I asked, marveling at the spectacular way Celeste looked now.  Now she did not look like a diver anymore – in fact the last place she belonged was the sea.  From her white
hair-braids in front down to her feet, the otter was dressed in what I could only guess was a type of armor, yet it hardly covered her body at all.  She wore an attractive white top that pulled over her breasts from behind, leaving ample cleavage in front.  Covering her paws were two pearl-white gloves.  Around her hips she had tied a sash that covered only her crotch and tail-base, leaving lots of light-blue thighs visible.  Completing the outfit was a pair of purple and white armored boots, buckled together with sapphire clasps.

"From invaders. In times past they were just armor. Pauldrons today are made to be kinetic emitters. Sort of a shielding...it is how you say our reward for contribution to the outside world. A company from Gaule, Armand Leonard designed these specifically for our people as a reward for our support during that awful war.  It's based on armor our founding mothers wore, ancient aesthetic meets modern technology as it were." the girl said simply and then reached for my paw. "Yours, I'm afraid, will just be for show, Leilani."

I watched as Celeste carefully dressed me in a similar likeness, although my boots were light blue and my pauldron was a sparkling gold.  My tail got the better of me at one point and jerked upwards
excitedly, causing the sash to untie from the back.

"I am sorry." I could not help but laugh over my shoulder, watching Celeste re-tie.  "It has a mind of its own at times..."  When she had finished, she looked me over again, brushing black hair away from my
eyes and petting the orchid tucked tightly behind my ear.

"You look so beautiful, ma mie."

"A-as do you, M-madame Celeste..." I leaned my head to hers to nuzzle, and was very happy when she kissed me again.

We were met by several female otters as we left the compartment and shown to a set of large lifts.  Celeste explained that these too ran on what she called kinetic energy.  I had little chance to be amazed as the small room we entered suddenly shot upwards - causing my stomach to take a little turn with it.  She rested an arm around my shoulder and pointed out the window as the sea grew lighter and lighter, until I heard a loud splash and the lift came completely out of the water.

I churriped! in alarm and awe as I saw Celeste's kingdom of Ahes from the surface; large crystal structures jutted from almost every part of the base, and surrounding them all, sparkling, cascading and crashing waterfalls spilled out from above and below, creating a type of gigantic fountain.  Within these structures, which lacked the dome coverings, I saw trees and flowers that looked quite like mine back home on the island.  Everywhere I turned, I saw crystal and water meeting in glorious and spectacular ways, and the sunlight beating down into them cast myriad prisms in every direction.

I was still speechless as our lift finally stopped and the doors opened to a huge, high-ceiling hallway, with crystal rooms on either side, stretching down the passage.  We stopped at a particular room, where an ornate and regal-looking table had been prepared, and immediately a new smell caught my attention.

Fish.

My stomach growled and I felt my tongue licking over my whiskers eagerly.

"Ah, ma mie," Celeste giggled and hugged me against her, "you must be starving.  You never did eat while you were diving."

I swallowed hard. "You...watched me?  How long were you..."

The otter gently nuzzled my cheek before pulling me reluctantly away from the succulent scents. "Come.  We will eat soon enough.  Your presence is requested elsewhere however."

As she was speaking, a few female guards met us from the end of the hall and bowed before us, announcing that the Council of Maidens were ready to meet with me.  A wave of uneasiness came over me as I looked at Celeste. "Madame Celeste, I...I do not know about this..."

I was so different from them, and the thought of being isolated, or made to feel different from my otter kind here bothered me greatly.

But the otter was already smiling, giving me a tight hug.  "They are simply to welcome you."  She let go of me and started to blush again, looking sheepish. "I am afraid I, how you say, broke the rules when I led you here to Ahes.  Every visitor to the kingdom must be properly screened."  She turned more serious.  "It is our mandate lest we accidentally let in invaders, spies, otters who could do harm to us..."

My eyes widened. "I would never-"

She held up a paw to silence me.  "Nonetheless, we should go now." Celeste squeezed my paw and together we followed the guards to the end of the hall and to the largest room I had ever seen.  Crystal walls were decorated with beautiful paintings, and sculptures pushed up from the floor and rose majestically around the room, like silent guardians.  Before me, sitting around a large crystal and jewel-encrusted table, were twelve female otters, looking decidedly older than I was, but still very beautiful.  Their violet eyes gazed at me as I walked inside, and I smiled flimsily, crossing my paws in front of me.  I watched Celeste bow her head slightly next to me, and I did a bow of my own.

"Madame Celeste," one of the otters got up slowly, her eyes sizing me up from head to toes. "You do know it is imperative that any guests be brought to us immediately upon arrival."

"I am so sorry," I blurted out, looking askance at Celeste. "Mesdames, if it pleases this court...I...she saved my life, this otter.  I was diving for pearls..."

Celeste squeezed my paw again and shook her head. "I did not forget, Council.  I had full intention on bringing her to you once she was of proper attire."

The elder nodded. "She said she was diving?"

Celeste spoke up quickly. "I have seen her before.  In fact, I..." Her whiskers drooped a bit. "I...I have watched her a few times."

I looked at her, somewhat alarmed. "You...?"

She quickly added, "And Council, I admire this otter's abilities.  She is a great diver, as good as any of ours in the kingdom.  Her breath-holding skills rival even mine, and I daresay she can swim to as deep a depth as any of our strongest divers..."

The elder smiled softly. "But the newcomer says you saved her life."

Celeste nodded, "I did.  She had gotten her foot caught in a reef. I could not let her drown." She turned to look at me, and pressed her nose to my cheek. "And I wanted her to see Ahes. I was...eager that she come with me."

The rest of the elders looked at one another and whispered amongst themselves in a language I did not understand.  Then one of them smiled brightly. "The Council of Maidens welcomes Leilani to Ahes, and under our decree, she is represented officially as a guest of the kingdom of Ahes, and the responsibility of Madame Celeste Undyne.  Leilani, you are free to traverse our world, and meet with our people. Please be aware of our laws."

I nodded solemnly and then started to laugh as Celeste nuzzled me again.  "Th-thank you so much, Council. I am sure...I will like it here very much..."

The elders all stood up and gave me a small bow which I returned.

"I know you must be starving," Celeste laughed softly as we left and returned to the hallway and down to the large room with the table I had noticed earlier. "We have prepared a wonderful dinner for you."

And it was.  She led me by the paw to a chair at the head of an exquisite banquet of fish, crustaceans, oysters, baked breads, and spirits, served in crystal plates and chalices.  I ate hugely and the two of us chatted about my island back home, and how much different this all was to me.

As we ate, I noticed we were becoming quite close. Celeste would often reach over and feed me a bit of fish or bread from her paw, and I found myself licking her webbing and digits afterwards playfully.  Thoughts of our luxurious bath together came back to my mind, and the warm desire from earlier washed over me, almost like a bath in itself.

"Why did you watch me so often, Celeste?" I nuzzled her and churred softly. "You must have been hiding...I have never seen other otters at that depth."

The girl shrugged, smiling disarmingly. "I just like to watch you, ma mie.  You are very beautiful when you swim, and...you wear so little clothes. And..." Her churring became warmer as she pressed her muzzle snug to mine, nose to nose. "And...I like you..."  The kiss was slow at first, a brush of lips, and then our tongues carefully started to explore one another's mouths, drawing more and more of our individual tastes, swallowing them in gulps as our heartbeats quickened.  For a long time we kissed, until our mouths pulled away, a thin veil of our combined tastes coating our lips.

"I...l-like you too..." I whispered.

Presently, the combination of the bath and the food got the better of me, and I began to feel sleepy.  Celeste led me to a beautiful chamber close to hers, and we parted with another kiss.

"You will find what you need inside, ma chere.  Tomorrow, I will take you personally on a tour of Ahes." She then giggled, rubbing noses. "Perhaps we could go diving...?"

My heart pumped up at the thought of sharing a few water-filled kisses with the beautiful otter on the bottom of the sea. "I would...love that so much..."  She followed behind me as I entered my chambers, noticing a delightful four-poster bed with silk linens prepared for me.  Her heat pressed up against my back, and my thick tail lifted up just enough to press between her legs.  "Stay with me?" I whispered over my shoulder, and Celeste slowly shook her head, sighing, wrapping her paws about my stomach, trapping my tail between her thighs.

"Mmm...I cannot, ma mie.  Not...yet..."  She brushed her nose against my ear, delicately licking a few hair strands. "Get much rest, my Leilani.  I bid you goodnight..."

She pulled reluctantly from me and I felt completely alone as the door closed behind her.

And that brings me here, journal.  The water is a bit darker outside, as the moonlight has disappeared.  I decided not to put on the clothes or sheets, and spare them the stain of my aching need as I orgasmed on my paw, crying soundlessly to the ceiling above me, working my digits as deep into me as I could muster.

Now… perhaps I can sleep, and dream of beautiful otters swimming around me, kissing me, touching me, loving me...

...and I can hold my breath forever...