[ Keystone Hospital ]
It was 2014.
Daniel breathed hard, pushing past doctors and nurses alike. As the leaves turn orange like the evening sun, his heart should've been beating with vigor, eyes shine with hope. He just received news that he was accepted into the Fine Arts program at the North Dakota State University.
He'd tell his mother the news.
She'd recover with the treatments.
Everything would be...
Rachel's pained voice pounds within his head. When he heard her call as school ended, he nearly dropped his phone. He rushed to the hospital with his heart beating in all the wrong ways.
"278...278...278!"
The hallways blurred before him under his panted breaths, but the focus on the numbers did not. Eventually, his feet snapped into place as soon as he reached room where his star-loving mother resided. Wasting no further air, he pushed forward immediately.
"Mom...!"
The door opened with a bang, but any further words were caught in his throat. The room weighed down as his eyes locked to Amy, then Rachel. The former sat upright on the adjustable bed while the latter stood by her friend's side.
Beeps from the EKG monitor pulsed through Daniel's body. It was practically ticking timer at this point.
The reality was only made worse as Amy hid her face, unable to receive her son in the eyes. He could see the biting of her lips behind her hair. Meanwhile, Rachel held onto one of her hands, her face creased in desperation.
There was nothing more that needed to be said.
Still...
"Daniel..." Amy forces out, her voice scratchy. She tilted further away as her chin dripped with tears. Rachel only closed her eyes as she squeezed her friend's hand more. Eyes shaking, Daniel's chest heaved once while his mother swallowed. "I... I heard the news. I'm... so happy for you, my star. You're finally..."
"Stop. Just... please, stop." Daniel cut through, pushing forward in a staggered choke. Without waiting for his mom to recover, he joined Rachel on the other side of the bed, pulling her close into his arms. The dam broke as she immediately clung to him, gasping painfully.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." she croaked as Daniel leaned his head on top of her, his own tears breaking through to merge with her own.
...
..
.
"Hey there, mom."
The greeting weighs as memories of the hospital room press down on Daniel's mind. A bitter smile tugs on his lips. When Anne transformed into Amy, it was twisted. No matter how well Anne settled into Amy's personality, it remained an uncanny existence. Nothing would change the fact that his mother passed away.
Somehow, this familiar woman looking out into the window is less disturbing. A remnant of the past.
Yet, a lie still.
The EKG drawing a flat line only emphasizes that fact, a cruel joke after the lively beeps that previously trailed him. Despite that, he can't turn away from this dream.
Amy lifts her head, avoiding his gaze like before. "Are you...happy, my star?"
Her voice and familiar addressing is a knife's twist through his being. Daniel shuffles awkwardly for a moment before closing his eyes. "Can't exactly say right now, but... yes." His gaze softens. "I'd like to think so."
By his side, Viviane looks on while squeezing his arm.
'What does this mean?' she thinks, her silver eyes creasing.
"You know, you could bring me back," Amy suggests plainly.
Daniel grits his teeth behind his lips.
"I know what you're thinking. 'It wouldn't be the same', but stars in the sky can be anything," she continues. "From our point of view, they can be satellites and asteroids. Those are pieces that can fall to Earth."
"You and I know very well those are not stars," Daniel counters, keeping his voice leveled.
His chest tightens as Amy snorts, a smile spilling from an opening of her hair. "Where is your sense of artistry, Daniel? It seems you can't even go along with a metaphor. Are any of us true stars? Your new mothers come from an imaginary star, one especially wrapped by a crazy old wizard's plans."
"Even so, they're not you."
"Yet, you've accepted that they represent me in some way. Is that not the least hypocritical?"
Along with the rays of the past sun, silence permeates the room until Daniel loosens with a sigh.
"It is hypocritical," he admits. He glances at Viviane, who flinches by the sudden attention. "But, it's hard to blame them for feeling that way. Just goes to show how much of an awesome mother I had."
Viviane's silver wells deepen. "Daniel..."
"Still, they're not my mom—not in the truest sense," Daniel continues, returning to Amy. "Things might have been different if you returned to me from the grave, but that's not what happened. What I believe is that Anne started different enough because..."
"...because I was no more than leftovers?" Amy finishes.
Daniel coughs, looking away. "That's...um, not a great way to put it, but..."
"Hehe, but that's exactly what it is." Amy leans forward, more of her lips showing. "You're still the same, trying to find the beauty in all of us, just like your art."
Daniel narrows. "S-stop it, you're... you're not my mom in any real sense either. What's the point of this... dream? To torment me?"
"..."
Without an answer, Daniel gaze lifts before his shoulders slump.
His breath staggers.
[IMAGE]
There she is.
Amy looks his way, a light smile with a hint of sadness crossing her olive eyes. Unlike her final days, her messy bangs flutter lightly amid the evening rays, calmer than he remembers.
"You should be asking that to the one next you, my star."
This is not his mother.
He knows that.
Yet, she still reflects in the wavering tears of his eyes. He takes another rigid breath before turning away. "Shit... god-damn it..."
Viviane holds still while her son mutters to himself. While the emotions cut deep, she holds to the astronomer's eyes carefully. "Me?"
Amy hums.
The elder slime stares blankly for a second before her gaze draws wider. 'Wait, does that mean...!'
So far, every fresh union has shaken her foundation, revealing pieces about her Britannic origins. That was the expectation that would happen again with the three-way joining.
Except, why would it be limited to only one foundation?
"I see now... So, there are pieces of you that are hidden as well," Viviane concludes softly.
Amy closes her eyes to a smile. "You'll have to take me."
"Take you?" Viviane repeats slowly. "No, you can't mean..."
"Oh, please," Amy chuckles. "I'm already a part of you, Anne, and Mary. It's just some memories are harder to reach. Surely this is more than obvious to you."
"Then, what does that make you?"
"A past."
Viviane frowns before sighing. "What exactly can you provide that I don't already know?"
"Why are you asking when you do know?"
"..." A moment drifts before the elder slime places a hand on her head. "Ah, seriously?"
With a slight scoff, she glances at her son recovering himself. Her eyes slim weakly. "Child, I'm sorry. I know this is painful, but she appears to have something we... might want."
Daniel flinches.
Not need, but want?
He swallows carefully, wiping his eyes with a heavy breath. "What do you mean?"
Viviane lowers her gaze. "Her dreams, I think."
"... What? Isn't that what we're in?"
"Look, I don't know why it's like this, but I've realized we don't have your mother's dreams. In fact, we don't have any dream beside the special ones recently."
Daniel holds himself, glancing at Amy, then back to Viviane. 'My mom's...dreams? No, that can't be right.'
Except, the more he tries to scour through the collective memories, the more his slime mother's words ring true. He can't recall anybody's sleep experiences except his own. Even details of Mary's dreams aren't there despite the numerous influences it has on her portfolio.
'Why is that?' he questions, narrowing his eyes.
They had been so focused on reality and the realms within his slime mothers, he didn't really think of anything else.
"Child..." Viviane calls, clinging to him softly. She wiggles her lips. "I know I can't ever be your real mother. In fact, I wouldn't want that when we're so much closer."
"Mother..."
"But," she continues. "To learn there's more to your original mother—to understand her better so we all can be more connected, is there no better beauty than that?"
"I... I'm not sure."
"Neither am I. Still, I feel what we're staring at is a mirror. Whatever this is, it's not quite the same as me discovering Nimue or Leonardo. No, this feels..." She turns to the waiting Amy. "...collective?"
Daniel thins his lips. "How do we know for sure?"
Viviane holds to the dead woman. "What do you think of our relationship?"
Amy smiles warmly. "It's beautiful."
The slime switches to Daniel flatly. "Yeah, no. There's no way in hell your mother would react with that after what we've done."
"I... but... didn't you just call it beautiful?"
Viviane huffs. "Between us!"
Daniel runs a hand through his hair, sighing. "Okay, okay. So then, you want her dreams?"
"We don't need her dreams, but... it would be nice."
"Are you saying we can leave her be?"
"Uhh..." Viviane looks around until she catches that the door they entered through has closed on its own. She raises a finger. "Would you look at that? How much do you want to bet that if we leave through that door that should've stayed open, this dream...or whatever this is, will collapse?"
Daniel looks behind him, his brows rising. "Huh."
So either they have a possible exit, or like how Viviane was stuck in an infinite castle hallway, there's no way out.
"It's your choice," Daniel gives.
Viviane knits her brows. "No, don't say that. I still want to be respectful to you and your memory of Amy. Even if she is already part of us, it doesn't mean I have to incorporate more of her."
"It sounds like you're just wanting me to share the blame in the decision. For all we know, you might have to anyway."
"Urgh." Viviane glances away before coughing. "J-just answer clearly, child. Do you want me to absorb this replica of your mother or not?"
"The fact that's even a question is crazy! Why are you making me decide?"
"Because we love you!" Viviane and Amy answered in perfect sync, a contrast between growing annoyance and acceptance respectively.
Daniel staggers back, eyes swirling as he switches between his two mothers. His mouth hangs for a moment. 'What the hell was that?!'
Yet, they stare back, waiting for his answer like it's nothing. Seeing how they won't let go, he shuts his eyes. "Fine..." He stretches a groan. "Do it."
In the end, his mother is gone. He won't let this dream dictate otherwise. Still, if there's more to be gained that they don't know, isn't it worth to being found than drift away?
'Haaa...this is too much,' he thinks, rubbing his temples. 'I'm going insane.'
"Sorry in advance," Viviane follows, touching his shoulder. Daniel doesn't answer, lifting his gaze as his slime mother steps closer to the bed. She takes in the astronomer's eyes and mature features.
A line of regret crosses on her face. "I wish we could properly meet."
Amy matches. "You know it won't be the same."
"I know, so..." Viviane extends her hand to the dead woman's shoulder. "Thank you."
Shlourp!
Daniel's breath hitches. Reflectively, he takes a step back as Viviane loses her form, flooding around his mother like nothing. Worse, there's not a single reaction from her, smiling at him one last time before she's encased by the blue goo.
Blorb!
The bed is covered like a blanket. More than that, Amy's entire form vanishes as the slime flattens out. It wiggles for a few seconds with uncertain groans before rising up, twisting.
"Uuugh..."
Not quite humanoid, the goo stretches out with a groan as it reshapes itself.
"Daniel... My child... My star..." Their voices overlap.
The artist grabs his own right arm as it trembles.
Did he make a mistake? Is there even a mistake to be made?
Beep...beep...beep!
The EKG revives with green bounces on its screen. Daniel can't be bothered to extract meaning while the gooey being twitches.
Viviane's face reforms first, stretching out as she opens her silver eyes. As more of her mass solidifies, Daniel eases up his own grip. Before he can completely relax, his mouth hangs slightly as his slime mother's hair spills out.
Instead of turning silver, it's dark like Amy.
"What the..."
In a weak gasp amid Daniel's confusion, Viviane ripples out into her otherwise usual form, sitting where Amy once was except with her scrubs. She blinks a few times before knitting her brows. She lifts a hand to her eyes. "Huh?"
Daniel swallows. "Mother? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I... I think?"
"You think?" Daniel steps closer. "What do you mean?"
Viviane curls her lips, looking around her. "Well, I don't feel like there's any new in my head, much less dreams."
"Your hair turned dark though."
The elder slime stiffens. She quickly drags a lock in front to check before her eyes bulge. "What? Why!?"
Shuun...
She refocuses immediately, and just like that, her hair fades back to the usual silver. She can't feel relieved though. It's not that she specifically prefers silver, but her slimy mass always defaults to it as part of her pale appearance. To that end, something clearly changed.
"I really don't know what's going on, Daniel," she insists, groaning.
Knock, knock!
Before Daniel opens his mouth to guess, the two perk to the room's door. The EKG monitor by Viviane beeps faster as he and his slime mother hold uneasily.
"Y-yes?" Daniel calls.
"Ah? I knew I heard something! Is that you, Viviane, Daniel?" Anne's voice calls from the other side. "What are you doing in the closet room?"
Daniel and Viviane's brows rise. They look at each other.
Closet?