504. Dip Our Smiles Into Chocolate Fondue

504. Dip Our Smiles Into Chocolate Fondue

After the first Awakening they were much more assertive with their speculations. If Floor and Archetype Awakenings were similar, then they had reason to believe this was the case. However, Frost aimed for an Awakening that didn’t involve the loss of countless lives again.

Both first Chapters of Desire and Civilization were unwearable. Judgement on the other hand began at Monsoon, which threw a spanner into their theory. Only time could tell in the end.

And speaking of time – She approached the others at the mouth of the same chocolate castle built by The Child.

It was a fantasy medieval castle, equipped with a moat filled with strawberry milk and chocolate straws actings as its spires. Liquorish rope lowered a biscuit bridge for them to walk across. Even the grass was edible.

* * *

Revy, Sana, Alice, Stella, and the Cheshire Cat could be seen at a chocolate river, scooping out the deliciously warm sweets. Cer approached the river also wanting a taste of the chocolate. Suddenly, a giant waffle-like fish leapt from the river and slapped her across the face.

“I didn’t like fish anyway.” Cer grumbled as the children failed to hold back their laughter. Revy tried to hide hers out of respect, but Cer just shrugged to let her know that she honestly didn’t mind it. “Res. Ber! Check it out! Everything’s edible here. Heh.”

“You know sweets are bad for us.” Ber couldn’t help but sigh before Res suddenly pranced forward, her head held high for was seemed like the first time in her life. “Not you too Res. Don’t tell me I’m going to be the pack leader now.”

“At least let me try it.” Res said, wanting to experiment with her unlocked senses. She reached the edge of the river, staring down at her colorful reflection despite how murky it was in the liquid chocolate. “It feels warm! You’ll definitely like it, Ber!”

“Well, we are Moons so a bit of chocolate isn’t going to hurt. Ah, what the heck! Chocolate!” Ber rushed forward, snatching Cer into her arms as she passed by.

“Oi! Cut it out! Just cause you’re a little bit bigger doesn’t mean you can –!”

“CANNON BALL!” Ber shouted.

“DON’T YOU DARE!” Cer thrashed around but it was too late. Ber leaped into the air, tucking her knees as she sunk into the liquid chocolate. A colossal splash threw chocolate everywhere, coating the bank and even the others nearby.

Res took the largest brunt of the attack. The two floated at the top, staring at a trembling Res with wry smiles, expecting her to lash out at them.

“Ha… Aha…”

But to their surprise, Res laughed.

“Ahahahaha!”

And she couldn’t stop. Her long tail wagged playfully. She laughed so hard that colorful tears tumbled down her cheeks. Before long, she took a step back and joined her sisters in the river, embracing the moment with a carefree spirit.

Ber and Cer glanced at each other before smiling tenderly.

“I’m happy to see you like this, you know.” Ber unintentionally allowed her heart to speak. Seeing Res’ cold demenor disappear once and for all caused her eyes to moisten. Before her tears could fall, a sudden splash of chocolate was thrown all over her face.

“Heh. So you’ve entered our territory. Prepare to pay for the consequences!” Cer then splashed Res, beginning a chocolate fight. “Wait – don’t team up against me! HEY!”

Their antics filled the world with lighthearted banter and laughter. The Res that bottled herself away gushed like an open faucet. Her smile shone like the sun, and Jury admired them in silence from afar.

And when her eyes met with Res, she gave her a wide, enthusiastic wave with her hand and tail. The children watched this unfold from the bank, almost in disbelief that those people were Moons.

“That looks fun.” Revy’s cat-like tail danced like a happy snake.

Sana’s eyes narrowed with displeasure.

“Nuh uh. Can you imagine how sticky you’ll be once you’re out?”

“Mhm.” Alice nodded, drinking from the river with a comedically long straw.

“Is it tasty!?” The Cheshire Cat exclaimed, tending to both Alice and Stella. Stella sat on the grass; her attention pointed in the direction of Res’ laughter as she munched on a gelatinous rock.

“It’s wonderful.” Stella had no other words to share, simply enjoying the moment.

“Alice~ Don’t tell me you still haven’t figured out who I am?” The Cheshire Cat tried to jog the girl’s memory but to no avail. “Fine. Pretend you don’t remember. Hmph.”

“I really don’t remember.” Alice spoke truthfully, placing both hands on her head as if it would help her remember. “Nnn… nothing.”

“Aww…” The Cheshire Cat slumped over sadly.

“But… I bet you were a wonderful person. You came to help me, so I think you were one of the few people who didn’t blame me.” Alice deducted.

“Sorta! Well, I guess I’ll leave it for now. Alice~!”

“Y-Yes? Why do you keep hugging me like that? I’m not a pet.”

“No reason at all!” The Cheshire Cat was oddly infatuated with Alice for reasons she refused to tell. But one could already picture that whoever she was, she must have been incredibly close to Alice at one point in her life.

“So how about you?” The Cheshire Cat approached Stella with a mischievous grin. “Hehe. You can’t see me at all. It makes me want to play a trick on you, you adorable thing –!”

Suddenly, an electric fang barely grazed the head of the Cheshire Cat. She trembled on the spot, slowly inching away as Cer leapt from the river, shaking off the liquid like how a drenched dog would.

“DON’T MESS WITH STELLA!” Cer was awfully protective of the girl, and it was not hard to see why.

After all, if it weren’t for Stella, then Res would have succumbed to her Corruption.

“Are you alright!?” Cer placed her tail on Stella’s head. “She didn’t try feeding you something weird, did she!? You can’t trust felines!”

Revy’s ears collapsed sadly when she heard this and began twirling her fingers together.

“U-Um. It’s ok. The Cheshire Cat is a good person. I can tell. T-Thank you.” Stella spoke awkwardly to what she knew was akin to a mythical being. “Y-You… can go back now. If you want.”

“You’re a good girl too. Better than any human I know of, that’s for sure! Heh. No one’s gonna dare to mess with you! On my watch!”

“That’s right!” Ber called out, nodding profusely like a broken drinking bird. “You have the backs of the Eye, Fang and Claw now!”

The triplets could only express their thanks in a crude manner. This was in part due to their pride, and another because there weren’t a lot of people they could trust in this world. It wasn’t until recently when they met Frost that they began building a network of irreplaceable friends and family, so it was still difficult for them to communicate heartfeltly like Frost.

Stella was embarrassed. Her cheeks turned bright red as she fiddled with her snack. But she couldn’t help but smile in response, elated that they appreciated her help.

“I was just doing what people used to do for me.” Stella answered in a soft voice, and before she could delve into deep thought, her face was brushed by three distinct bundles of fuzz. “Uhh –!?”

“Don’t think. Be happy.” Cer grinned. “Just smile you little runt. No one’s going to get mad at you for it. And that goes for you too, Alice. Well, you did make some trouble, so good job on that.”

A question mark appeared on Alice’s head as Ber spoke:

“You’re still young. Don’t go letting yourself think too deeply about stuff in the past.” She squeezed Stella’s cheek playfully.

“That’s right. Or you’ll end up like me. Well, the old me. Hm… Stella.” Res’ voice could be heard, causing Stella to freeze as a warm hand fell onto her head. “Thank you. You showed me that I can change.”

Stella only sat there, surrounded by the warmth of these Moons that owed so much to someone like her. She remembered a time when people relied on her like this. It was after she was a liability to everyone. But most of the time, people only praised her because she was just useful.

But here… their warmth was genuine. She could tell.

“One day you’re also going to see the world.” Res promised. “We have friends that can make it possible.”

“Really…?” Stella tilted her head upwards.

The triplets looked at each other and nodded right as they spotted Frost in the distance.

“Think about it.” Cer hummed. “We have someone that can bring back people from Corruption. Another that controls time. Someone that can make organs. A spider that moves faster than you can think, and a machine that guides us.”

“We’ve done the impossible more times than I can count.” Ber laughed.

“It’s our turn to help you now!” Res announced.

“… everyone’s helped me enough.” Stella had everything she could ever want now. Asking for what seemed like the impossible caused guilt to burrow into her heart. Suddenly, the scrunching of grass could be heard.

“But why does that mean we have to stop?” Jury had overheard everything. Her tail rubbed Stella’s back. “Help shouldn’t be quantified. If someone needs it, then we’re going to lend a hand! Because someone did that for us regardless of what was in it for them.”

All eyes then fell onto Frost.

Well, two Frosts, actually.

Stella held onto all the tails that brushed against her, and she couldn’t help but to wonder what they all looked like as she wore a small, hopeful smile.

“Hey. Two Frost’s?” Cer pointed out.

“A-A new Alter Frost!?” Jury’s heart quite literally jumped to her throat in delight, her squeal causing Ber to growl. “Oh my! She’s so cute!”

“Pick one Frost Jury!” Ber scolded.

“I already have. Don’t ruin my dream of being surrounded by everything that’s Frost.” Jury argued with an oddly serious tone.

“A drowsy Frost? That Frost looks closer to her than the others.” Res noticed this, causing Cer to immediately throw herself back into the river. “You’re not going to meet them?”

“Not yet! What if that’s a hungry Frost!? I gotta make myself irresistible just in case! Dipping myself in chocolate fondue? Even Frost is going to consider it!”

The image of the Moons further degraded in the eyes of the others.

Ber plucked her sister from the river by the collar with just her fingers. She was hoisted up like a filthy rag.

“Cer. Please. Just shut up already. You are so weird!”