Yoshimon1 said:
Well, here we are! How's Furia feeling? Being so close to her home and yet so far away must be pretty hard for her… Speaking of hard, getting through that thing won't be easy. We should (literally) test the waters before we decide what to do. We could get some rope and tie ourselves to the boat before swimming out a bit, but this looks like the perfect opportunity to use some expendable clones as scouts!

You notice that Furia Storm seems to have been lost in thought for most of the voyage, so you decide to ask her how it feels to finally come back home after all this time.

Furia Storm: "Hard to say. I mean, if this is what the surface looks like, who knows what we'll find underneath?"

You tell the siren not to worry, and begin to discuss your options with the rest of the party. You eventually come up with a plan; while you escort Furia Storm down to the seabed and search for her home, Moonflower stays on the boat with Apple Basket so that nopony is left alone.

But before you can put your plan in action, the young sailor helps you tie a rope solidly around yourself, both for safety, and for communication. You then spend some time learning and practising diver and tender line signals together.

Apple Basket: "… three pulls when you're goin' down, and four pulls when you're comin' up. And remember, in case of emergency, just keep pulling, and we'll get you outta there."

With everything set up and ready to go, you use your ring of clone to test the waters, while Apple Basket and Moonflower take a moment to say goodbye to Furia Storm.

Apple Basket: "It's been an honour to work for the hero of Amblerta. Makes up for missing the festivities last night!"

Furia Storm: "Don't sweat it, kid."

Moonflower: "Ooh, and don't forget what the captain said! You an' the other sirens are always welcome in Equestria!"

Furia Storm: "Mmph… I won't."

Once Furia Storm manages to pry herself from the little bat pony's affectionate grip, she leaps into the gray waves, and reclaims her original form. You gently slide off the boarding ramp next to her, and after playfully telling your younger friends to behave themselves, you take a deep breath, and dive underwater.

As soon as you are submerged, your enchantments come to life, allowing you to breathe, as well as hear and see better. Despite the latter, however, the light of the setting sun doesn't reach far below the surface, and you find yourself swimming over a pitch black void.

You take a look around, but all are able to see are the whirlpool's massive funneling pillar, and an intense red glimmer at the bottom, which seems dizzyingly distant.

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