Tamo was patiently waiting where Mato had left her. Her face crinkled as thoughts of concern were expressed as wrinkles. As time past, she would occasionally glance to where Mato had headed off to. She was restless.
"Mato is strong," Tamo said, "But there are still too many things we don't know about. It's too risky to go alone."
Tamo couldn't help but sigh.
"If only I was strong enough, I could've gone with him."
The water pressure where Mato had entered was too strong for Tamo's body. She hadn't transformed like Mato. She was still a regular ol' sperm. She wanted strength but she had no idea how to attain it.
Tamo started pacing back and forth. Her flagellum moving like a metronome as her body remained restless.
"It's been a long time I wonder where he went off too."
Tamo started swimming towards the direction where Mato had left.
She had enough rest and let her body tread along the liquid. She knew she couldn't advance to where Mato had gone but she could explore the surrounding area.
Tamo tensed her face as she beared the brunt of pressure caused by the flowing liquid. With a flip of her tail she kept her body moving, constantly inching forward. Her eyes darted around the landscape taking note of any distinguishing landmarks.
A sudden jet of liquid came barreling out from the fleshy walls. An anus-like hole opened up and sent an enormous amount of liquid into a concentrated stream directly towards Tamo.
"AHHH!" Tamo screamed in surprise.
The liquid tossed Tamo about like a feather being blown by the wind.
The jet of liquid had only pushed her back. Tamo's eyes shifted downward checking the condition of her body. A few scratches but everything seemed to be alright.
"What's this hole doing on the wall?"
Tamo approached the small hole. The flesh around the hole was swollen, its skin glistened with a red sheen.
Tamo went to investigate. She touched the wall with her tail. Vibrations traveled through her tail as she moved her eyes to the wall. She could see red liquid moving constantly within the walls.
She continued to examine the area and found a small opening, only enough for her tail to get through.
This must've been where the burst of liquid came from.
Tamo swam back a few meters and stood to the side. She stared, observing the hole.
The hole opened up and a large current barreled out of the hole, relieving the pressure inside.
"Is there some kind of passageway in that hole?" Tamo said, "How else would the liquid escape?"
Tamo started to keep track of the hole's habits.
Every few minutes the hole would open up and a large amount of liquid was pushed out. The hole was left gaping but as time passed it retracted to its natural closed position.
"I'll have to wait for Mato. I'm too weak right now, there's no way of knowing what's going to be inside of that hole."
A few moments later, Tamo could feel the pressure steadily building up.
"It's coming from where Mato headed off too. But why is the pressure so intense?"
Tamo could see Mato drifting along with the current. His body looked bigger than before. Rays of light constantly being shot out of his body, illuminated the surrounding walls. His demeanor was astounding.
Mato seems to light up when he gets stronger. Did he have another fortunate encounter? Tamo thought in her head.
Mato was deep in his thoughts.
What other uses does this white orb have? It has immense life energy inside of it. It almost seems limitless. My meridians are getting so full that my body is expanding. I must be getting stronger!
Mato lifted his smiling face, his cheeks glistening with white light. His eyes focused and found Tamo staring directly at him.
"You look chubby!" Tamo said.
The excess life energy could not all be stored in his meridians. Mato's body decided to save this life energy as 'fat'. Even though the life energy orb can store life energy, that life energy isn't easily accessible. The life energy was also limited by how fast the light emitted out of the orb. Having life energy stored as fat would prove useful for battle, as he could just burn the fat and transform it back into life energy.
Mato's chubby cheeks drooped down as his smile was wiped from his face. He didn't know why but he felt his heart sting, the word 'chubby' constantly being replayed in his mind.
Tamo saw Mato's smile disappear. Seeing him discouraged she changed the subject, "Hurry, I have to show you something."
Tamo swam a few paces back and pointed her face in the direction of the gaping hole. Her face lit up as she could finally be of use to Mato.
"I found this hole while waiting," Tamo said. "I think this is an entrance to somewhere."
Mato swam forward. He saw a small opening, enough for his tail to fit through. He shanked his tail right through the opening, planning to use leverage to open it up.
"…WAIT!"
Tamo edged forward hoping to stop him.
Suddenly, the hole opened up and a large jet of liquid hit Mato square in the face. His chubby cheeks jiggled from the pressure as the liquid went past his body.
"That tickles," Mato said.
So strong. That current threw me back a hundred paces.
Shock was written on Tamo's face. She was always amazed at the capabilities of her friend. Taking that jet of liquid to the face would have severely hurt her but Mato received it with no damage whatsoever.
Mato looked at Tamo. His eyes creased upward. Regaining his confidence after being called chubby, he started to lead. "Let's go, the entrance is going to close."
Tamo swam forward but unexpectedly the hole was closing faster than normal.
Mato stretched out his tail, grabbing an edge before it could fully close. Flexing his muscles, life energy went through his meridians and made his tail stiff like a rod. He positioned his tail and his body so the entrance could stay open.
Even with Mato holding open the entrance, the entrance was still extremely tiny. It would be hard for two people to enter at the same time.
Tamo inched her head forward and made her way through the entrance. Her dainty body closed in on Mato. Her body couldn't help but make direct contact with Mato's body, as she struggled her way through.
Skin on skin. Membrane on Membrane.
A blissful expression appeared on her face. Life energy traveled out from Mato's body and into Tamo body. Tamo's tail was coupled with Mato's tail. Life energy was being transferred as white light traveled like static as their bodies became close.
Tamo's body seemed to flush into life. Her cheeks became like a rose as her breathing got more erratic. The life energy was like wildfire as it spread through her body, traveling through her muscles and going upwards toward her nucleus. The life energy started to reside below the nucleus like a pond.
Tamo was still and she savored the moment of Mato's embrace. The life energy flowing inside her was a totally new sensation. Like countless hands massaging the inside of your body. It was incredible.
Mato looked on at Tamo.
What is wrong with this woman?
Tamo was currently staying still and not moving.
Mato was awkwardly holding the entrance open as she continued to move her tail across his body. His eyes staring hard at her to try to get her attention.
Tamo noticing Mato's gaze was brought back to reality. With red cheeks, she swam forward and retracted her tail from Mato's body. She exited the narrow hole carefully, taking her time. Her eyes darted back coquettishly.
"Mato," Tamo's cheeks blushing, "Can I touch you again?"
A tingling sensation went up Mato's spine. This relationship was progressing too fast!
Mato swam back nervously.
Why is Tamo acting this way? She wasn't like this when we first met. Something must be wrong.
"Just then, when I touched your tail…. I felt something move within me…. It felt like my whole body was on fire," Tamo said, "Didn't you feel it?"
Mato did feel something when Tamo had touched her. Small amounts of life energy traveled out of his body, but the amount was negligible. The life energy that he gave Tamo wasn't even one percent of the power that he possessed.
Mato snapped back into reality. His eyes looked determined. He swam forward, exiting out of the entrance way as it closed behind. The pressure near the entrance way was still high so he took ahold of Tamo's body. Their tails became entwined together, he looked like a lover about to consummate his love with his woman.
"Wait a moment. Things are going too fast!"
Tamo's cheeks turned into a deep red, as she helplessly moved her body to try to escape. Her eyes looked upward as her head was pointing down. Although she was reluctant because Mato's brashness, she was willing to let it happen.
Mato then began to swim forward, their bodies escaping the pressure that was building up through the entranceway. Their bodies began to swim in unison. Their skin touching as life energy escaped from his body into Tamo's.
Mato had felt the life energy go out of his tail and into Tamos body but he was not the one who initiated this transfer. All of this happened involuntarily on Mato's part. Tamo was the one who was taking life energy from his body and he was helpless to stop it.
For a moment, Mato tried to urge more life energy to be sent into Tamo but the rate of transfer didn't change much. Mato was panting, that attempt took an incredible amount of concentration. He didn't know how Tamo could take his life energy so easily.
Her control of life energy is amazing. It seems like she has natural talent.
Mato was happy for Tamo. If she could get life energy this quickly from Mato. It would be a matter of time until she created her meridians.
Tamo concentrated on her body. Life energy circulated through her muscles. The life energy wasn't pushed by her muscles but it seemed to move on its own. The small pool near the bottom of her nucleus started filling up.
She's taking so much life energy inside so quickly. The rate of transfer is increasing with each passing moment. Good thing I have the life energy orb or my body would shrivel up eventually.
Mato had worked so hard to gain life energy to transform. It was envious that all Tamo had to do was sell herself to Mato to get a life energy but he was happy.
Tamo could feel the life energy within her body move like fire. It spread through her muscles, soothing her as it traveled upward toward the pool of life energy near her nucleus. The life energy pool was full and started bubbling.
The bubbles escaped upwards turning into a mist that surrounded the entirety of her nucleus.
Tamo's nucleus started glowing. Arcs of white light seemed to bounce through the mist as it surrounded Tamo's nucleus. The mist churned as more life energy was transformed into mist. When Enough energy had been stored the mist couldn't maintain its state any longer. The mist began vibrating quickly and started to condense to a single spot on the forehead of Tamo.
The life energy mist started to condense into a small ball in the middle of her forehead. The mist transformed back into liquid as a slit began taking shape. The mist kept condensing into a liquid and the slit became larger. The mist began to run out while the slit began to open up.
Is she getting another eye?
Mato was fascinated. The transformation that he went through turned the life energy into meridians. In Tamo's case, the life energy turned into an eye.
Is it different for everyone?
Tamo struggled to open her slit. A multi-colored light started to spill out as the slit began opening up. Tamo's body shuddered as she struggled to open up it up. Light continued spilling out as it gradually opened. The eye fully opened up and a rainbow of light came spilling out. Mato was blinded by such intense light.
"It's beautiful!" Both of them said.
A rainbow of light came spilling out of Tamo's third eye as she opened it.
Mato stared at Tamo while she stared back. Their bodies were still embracing one another as Mato didn't want her transformation to end because she didn't have enough life energy.
Tamo stared hard at Mato. She could now see the life energy within his body. She could see how his muscles were intrinsically supported by life energy. She could see the life energy that was stored as fat on Mato's cheeks. She could see the life energy within his meridians move in concert as it was directed through his body. It was like watching clockwork, it was fascinating.
Tamo looked away and glanced at the surrounding liquid. She could see small specks of white light floating calmly.
There are tiny amounts of life energy in the liquid as well!
Tamos eye focused on the life energy in the liquid. The small specks of white disappeared as it transformed into light that illuminated the surrounding area. She looked at different motes of life energy in the liquid and started transforming it. The motes of life energy started to collapse within itself and change into something entirely different. Stars looked like the were exploding as light expanded from its point of creation
The light kept on radiating. Motes of light appeared in the surrounding space. The light seemed to shine so bright that no one could tell when it would stop.
Mato and Tamo held each other close. They looked like they were dancing in the stars. Light continued to expand outwards as they traveled deeper into the tunnel.
When the life energy in the air started to weaken,so did the light. The surrounding liquid turned darker as the resplendent light disappeared.
Mato looked at Tamo's third eye.
It looked like a rainbow coloured jewel was placed between her forehead. It emitted dazzling light that illuminated Mato's face as he looked at her. It did not look hard but soft like clear mochi.
Tamo was embarrassed by Mato's stare and broke free from Mato's embrace.
Mato was reluctant to let go because he was worried that she would need more life energy.
The hole in entrance started to open up as the liquid pressure inside had reached its tipping point.
"Let's go." Tamo said.
Tamo swam forwards to try to escape the suction force from coming from the hole. She did no longer look like a regular ol' sperm but a queen that ruled over her people.
"Hurry up. It's my turn to lead!"
Her eyelids wrinkled upwards as she began to lead the way.