Chapter 51: A One-sided Merge

Mary, Daniel, and Viviane stare intently towards Anne, waiting for something to happen as the silver mass submerges through the blue slime's skin layer.

The slime mother imagined a merge with her fellow creature would be like mixing two wet ingredients for a batter. It's arguably easier than merging with Mary, where she's just icing on a cake. On the other hand, icing can be easily removed.

Despite the risk, Anne doesn't feel any different with Viviane's ingredient. Compared to merging with a human, the sensation of the silver mass mixing with her is nonexistent. Not even a flash of knowledge from her elder sister is imparted.

'Maybe it's not enough?' Anne wonders, cocking her head.

The wavy-haired mother dissolves the skin on her hand to verify. With wide eyes, everyone sees her inner mass, blue as always. There's not even a silhouette of the silver mass to be seen through her semi-transparent properties.

"Did you...digest her or something?" Mary asks.

"N-no, I didn't...or at least, I don't think I did," the slime mother responds before furrowing her brows toward her elder sister. "Did I do something wrong?"

Viviane hums, narrowing her eyes. "Very interesting..."

Everyone turns their heads to the silver slime as she steps forward, taking her fellow sister's hands in her own.

"V-viviane?" Anne questions, smiling stiffly as the silver slime's eyes sparkle too much.

'Wait, I'm not like this, am I?' she has to wonder.

"Anne, I must put more of myself into you!" the elder sister finally declares.

Said slime gasps and glances away. "Th-that, uhm...sounds kinda wrong when you say it like that."

Before any sort of action can commence, Daniel clears his throat and pushes them apart. "No, hold on! Vi-I mean, mother, do you have any idea of what happened?"

Mary holds her mouth and snickers at her boyfriend's correction. 'He's trying so hard.'

Nonetheless, the silver mother blinks before shuffling back sheepishly. "Ah, apologies child! Although I'm not sure what's happening, I can tell that piece of me has not been severed. It exists somewhere within Anne, and yet, I'm unable to muster any control to it. There's something special about your mother here in this world!"

"So that excites you enough to put more of yourself into her?!"

"It's okay, Daniel. Mama is still fine!" Anne reassures before straightening. "Let's try a little more, just to be certain."

Daniel wriggles his lips with worry. "Are you sure there's nothing? Not even some memories shared?"

"No, at least as far as the small piece of Vivi-Mama goes."

Once again, Anne seems to have come up with a new nickname for her elder sister when referencing to him.

While recognizing it, Daniel doesn't let himself be distracted as he slowly inhales. "Alright, a little more then."

Viviane hums playfully. "You're not worried about me, child?"

"I'm worried about both of you," Daniel asserts.

Despite saying that, it's hard to not be biased towards Anne, given she's been the one by his side; however, he doesn't want that to be dwelled on.

"Very well," Viviane ends, not pushing it. She returns her attention to Anne. "Why don't we both assume our full slime forms so that it's more apparent what's happening."

The slime mother nods, allowing her colored layer to dissolve back into the gooey mass. No longer contained, her body droops a bit in a few places.

Likewise, Viviane also shifts back, but unlike Anne, her silver mass is more stable. As it is, she looks like a metal statue shining brightly against the sun.

So much, in fact, Daniel has to turn away just to avoid the reflection from this realm's light. "You're...very smooth."

Viviane closes her eyes and smiles. "I'm pleased to hear that!"

Anne huffs, crossing her arms. "Well, sorry Mama can't help but be a mess."

"Hold on, I didn't say-"

"Anne, forget about him," Mary cuts, her eyes glimmering in awe. "This is cool, though! You're so goopy!"

"Oh, that's right! You haven't seen me fully in this form!" Anne gasps before tilting her chin. "Now that's the reaction I was hoping for!"

Daniel slumps with a dry smile before sighing. "Thanks for giving me a hard time, guys."

"Hehe, Mama loves you too~"

With the two slime mothers in their base form, Viviane proceeds behind Anne and presses her hand against the blue, gooey backside.

"One arm, okay? Tell me if anything changes."

"L-likewise. If you lose your arm-"

"I can regrow it."

"Oh...that's right."

While Mary and Daniel watches, Viviane happily pushes her hand through. In response, Anne loosens to ensure her body can accept it.

Shlip!

One might expect a bulge to form from Anne's front, but not even that occurs. As if entering into a void, Viviane's entire arm is consumed. Only a brief section of the formed limb can be seen before it fades away.

Anne looks down at her chest in disbelief. While not doing anything to make her sister's arm disappear, that's precisely what happened. Moreover, she still feels like nothing had really entered her.

"V-viviane?"

The silver slime only hums and pulls back. With raised brows, her arm comes out intact, except...

"Oh?"

Turning around to see, Anne gasps along with the others as the elder slime's left arm is now turned into the same blue slime. After some observing, Viviane shows she can move around and control the limb despite the change.

"Wow... Looks like you've converted me, Anne."

"W-what? Why?! Are you okay?"

Anne is flabbergasted against her elder sister's calm and curiosity.

Viviane giggles, flexing her arm more and even stretching it. "It seems so. I can control fine. I've even been able to add back the piece I gave to you."

"You were able to find it? Wait, so then...ah! My body added you to me! But then, why couldn't I recognize that?"

"Possibly because I still own myself. I only gave you a little before, which is why I couldn't escape but still could sense myself."

Anne twists her lips before staring at her pair of blank and thinned-lipped artists. "What do you two think?"

"I have no clue what's going on, mom."

"Same here, love."

Seeing as the two humans are rightly out of touch, Anne returns to Viviane, who plays with the blue mass by shifting away and rebuilding a replacement silver arm.

"I can't get rid of it either, it seems. Hehe, I've got a patch of you, little sister!"

"That's crazy! Wait, what if I insert myself into you?"

"Go ahead!"

Anne does so, similarly pressing her hand on her compliment's back. Like a ripple on water, the slime mother sinks up to her wrist, then holds.

Feeling nothing, she pulls out. Unlike Viviane, her hand remains the same. "It doesn't look like...Aah!"

With a squeak, Anne sees a new blue patch formed on Viviane's back where she pushed in. "Oh no, I converted more of you!"

The silver slime looks behind and frowns. After taking a moment to think, she drops her head and sighs. "It seems there's only one path I can take then. Once going into fire, one must enter the waters. I will miss this silver color, though."

"Viviane, what do you... No, don't!"

Before Mary and Daniel can react, Viviane's slime extends from the back, entrapping the blue sister already within reach. As soon as the blue girl is pulled in, half of their individual masses mix. With it, the elder sister begins converting, losing her metallic shine.

Slish! Squelch!

Anne grunts, trying to pull away, but her sister remains stuck to her various cells. They're now easily conjoined, except with less than half of the silver mass remaining.

"Mother, stop!"

"Love!"

Breaking from their shock, both artists try to approach to help, but a light rumbling in the ground causes them to pause. Before they can question...

Shuuun!

A different rumble sounds above. It's enough to break everyone's attention on each other to look up, then drop their jaws.

Literal cracks like glass appear in the atmosphere. From within, unfamiliar characters spill out. Such magical letters float around wildly, increasing in number as the crack grows out.

With a single blink, Viviane is the only one who recovers fast enough from the change in the environment. While she may not understand her situation or containment, she knows one thing...

She can't hesitate like she did with the green flame.

"Trust me, my sweet sister. I'm always here for you."

Before Anne can respond, Viviane bumps head with her and sinks fully in.

Shlrup!

Anne shakes momentarily as Viviane fully disappears, not even a silver goo to be seen anymore. With her sister gone, the blue slime silently collapses in the ground while the rumbling above and below increases.

"N-no...no..."

She can hardly focus on her environment anymore, only mentally reeling from the pain as her sister is nowhere to seen, heard, or felt.

Like Amy had, she just lost a sister she has only begun to know.

"N-no, please...Viv-"

'Stay focused!'

Anne gasps as she hears her sister's voice. Before she can fully process her state of being, the entire sky shatters.

The land is swept in black.