When Marianne opens her eyes, she has to blink a few times before becoming aware of her real-world surroundings.

"Huh."

Last time, she was too concerned over Viviane's fate to question why her individual parts exist separately in the dream world. With more time to take in her situation, it feels strange to split in a spiritual way, then return as one after waking up.

It's like two heads were forcefully knocked together without warning.

'But I can't exist combined in that realm...or can I?'

Pondering for a bit too long, Marianne groans. 'What the hell are you thinking? That's the last thing to do when there's a hole in the sky! Ugh...I don't even remember when things ended.'

Regardless, Anne's domain appears to be accessible, but it's unknown how long that will last.

Then, there's Merlin's message for Mary. Since Anne couldn't see it, it confirms how the wizard's message is hidden, but changes according to who he expects to view it. With that in mind, Marianne recalls the most important part of the message for Mary:

Do not let the goddess sway my lady.
They are not the same.
They are not one.
The love for life must not be infinite.
A mother's love cannot be infinite.
Her self-imposed exile was the wrong solution knowing the future.

'My lady must be Viviane, but then, who is this goddess and...self-imposed exile?'

Floating questions in her head alone does no good, so Marianne turns toward the rest of the bed, only to see Daniel and the elder slime gone.

Narrowing her eyes, the sound of suckling from the hallway clarifies the whereabouts of the two.

'Seriously...why couldn't he nurse from me while I was asleep?'

Pouting, the ebony fusion slides out of the bed, making her naked way to the lounge area from the hallway. As expected, she sees Viviane holding their son on the couch while keeping a sticky hand on his groin.

No doubt, after fusing, their understanding and trust for each other are higher than ever.

"Ahem!"

Viviane momentarily flinches to the fusion's arrival, but quickly relaxes with a smile, squeezing the artist further into her bosom as she heeds her fellow motherly colleague.

"Good morning, Marianne. I didn't want to wake you since you were sleeping, so I slipped out with our son, as you see."

Daniel subsequently freezes by his mother-girlfriend's pointed stare. Even if his mouth wasn't stuffed, he wouldn't know what to say.

Luckily, Marianne cools away with a short breath. If she were honest, she'd probably do the same. "Yes, good morning. It's better that you didn't wake me, considering Mary and Anne were able to visit the same dream realm as before."

Daniel and Viviane widen their eyes, with the latter only able to speak, "Oh, that's good! We were wondering about that."

"But there's been some...changes," the fusion adds before growling. "First, though, let me have my turn with our son!"

Giggling at her sister's envy, Viviane loosens her grip on the artist's head. "Of course, he'll need his dear Mama's milk too~"

Daniel doesn't have much say in the matter, watching the fusion sit beside the lake dweller. With a pop from the elder slime mother, his sideways body is shifted over his mother-girlfriend's lap, where her warm gaze reflects in his eyes.

Similarly supported in her arms, but with his legs cushioned by Viviane's thighs, he shuffles awkwardly under such loving care.

"Um, hey."

Marianne's lips turn up more with a raised brow. "Hey to you, love. How are you feeling?"

"Smarter and regretful."

"Oh? Tell me something that you didn't understand before."

"Well, uh, this is embarrassing, but I guess tidal forces: One part of gravity pulls heavier than the other, resulting in stretching of galaxies when near each other."

The fusion's breath hitches. "Y-you didn't even understand that simple concept?! Why do you think water rises and falls from the ocean?"

"Hey, don't criticize me when the Mary in you didn't know that either!"

"Young man, don't make this about her or me, for that matter. She wasn't the one who had an astronomer for a mother!"

Viviane giggles and waves her hand. "Now, now, let's not fight. We should be fortunate that we're able to share knowledge and retain it easily from now on. Further, our son has already banged himself for not understanding Amy more."

Marianne's eyes widen then bites her lips in shame as she studies her boyfriend-son. "Right...I'm sorry, love. Ultimately, passions are different, whether it be in art or science, so there's nothing to regret about what we're interested in."

Daniel smiles weakly. "I know, but to truly understand her now after she's gone-"

"She's not gone," the fusion reminds him firmly, running a hand through his hair. "We're here in her stead for you."

Daniel sighs. "I know, and thank you. Anyway, I would prefer not to cry again, please."

"Hehe, I'll trust you on the knowledge gained then. Seriously, though, I'm the one who really wants to cry! It seems you really do like having fun without me."

Catching his fusion mother's pout, the artist shrugs. "Just so you know, I found myself in Mother's hold when I woke up."

Viviane lifts her chin proudly. "That's right, Mommy kidnapped him!"

Marianne feigns a gasp towards the elder slime. "How dastardly of you! I should've kept my arms around him."

"You did! Your grip is lacking as a fusion, my dear sister. I was still able to slip away with him while you were sleeping like a log."

"Curses!"

The lake dweller cups her mouth to the bit while Daniel can't help but curl his lips to the two; however, it doesn't last long as Marianne returns her attention to her artist, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, mister, now it's time for Mama to kidnap you. Surely, that's no problem?"

Daniel thins his lips, then fittingly latches onto her right breast without further question. Once secured, his tongue slides around the ebony breast, encouraging it to leak for him.

The fusion jerks, surprised by the quick obedience. Still, she hugs him closer with glimmering eyes. "Oh, love, that feels so good, but I expected you to be more resistant to your next captor, you know?"

"Ngh."

"Sister, he is resisting," Viviane notes. "Look how his little partner has gone bigger in defiance!"

With said "partner" in a gooey hand, Viviane reforms her hand back and guides Marianne's free hand over to take her place. "It seems he needs to understand who's in charge!"

Marianne wiggles her lips delightfully before rubbing her son's cock with her firmer hand. As she does, Viviane slides away from the couch, leaving Daniel to groan into the ebony breast that smothers him.

Shlick, shlick!

Holding fresh adoration for her family, the lake dweller moves to the kitchen area behind the couch. "While you two connect, I'll start making some coffee and breakfast."

"Oh!" Marianne breathes, straightening as a light bulb goes off. She turns her head a little, glancing back at her elder sister. "Actually, would you mind bringing a cup for me when it's finished brewing?"

While requesting so, her hand works like an automatic piston on Daniel as she shines eagerly towards the pale slime mother. In turn, Viviane raises her brows. "You want to drink it while you're feeding our child?"

Marianne grins as Daniel's muffled moans fill the air. "You're sort-of correct."

The artist's ears perk up at the unclear answer, but with eyes rolling up, he has no capacity to think on it as he buries himself further in his mother-girlfriend, enjoying her hand on his member.

A few minutes later, a cup of coffee is laid out on the small table in front of the couch. Slowing her strokes, Marianne loosens her grip on her son's head.

"Now then, love, would you like some coffee?" she asks.

Although he's content to keep nursing, Daniel pulls away to look up at her, only to see anticipation on her face.

Closing his eyes, he sighs. "Alright, what do you have in mind?"

"Huhu, don't worry! I just want to change your diet up a little."

The artist's forehead wrinkles as she sticks a finger into her cup. Before he can question, his eyes open farther to see its dark waters being sucked up like a pipe. He knows only the outer slime layer that makes up his fusion mother can do this.

With the coffee gone, Marianne inhales, shaking a little. "Ooh, that's....that's strange. I didn't expect to actually taste some of it like that."

Daniel blinks a few times. "Wait, did you just...? How the hell would the Mary in you taste that?!"

"Ah, maybe my parts are more connected than I thought," the fusion hums, raising a finger to her chin. Uncertain, she shrugs. "Anyway, I only absorbed a little. Most of it should be lining my appearance now."

"Lining?"

The fusion-mother's eyes soften as she holds his head again to her chest. "Why yes...continue drinking, my love."

Once again, Daniel shivers at her soft, British accent. Knowing a surprise awaits him, he latches on with some interest. Besides the creaminess of the milk, he is stunned by the sudden hint of rich coffee lacing the white waves on his tongue.

'Oh, nice!'

He buries himself deeper into the ebony beauty's soft chest with his approval, sucking with greater force than before. In turn, Marianne stifles a moan and restarts her strokes along her son's member.

"Ungh, love...you like it? It's good, isn't it?"

Daniel groans in response, figuring out the fusion's meaning of "lining". As he's been drawing Mary's breast milk through the slime layer, it seems she's set up a tiny channel through such a layer where the milk could be infused with the coffee.

'Seriously, there's always something with her...er, them,' Daniel thinks, baffled but driven by the caffeine he desperately needs.

Viviane whistles as she sips her own cup among the sounds of eggs sizzling in the background. "Very clever, sister!"

The fusion beams, but slows her motions against her son's cock, squinting towards the pale slime mother. "Hold on, can you even taste the coffee?"

Viviane shakes her head, frowning. "Sadly, it's the same as Anne. I can't taste or feel anything unless I'm bound to someone. Still, it's a good source of energy for us and humans."

The fusion sighs and increases the rubbing of her son's cock, much to his twitching delight. "Darn. Well, speaking for Anne, I wish you had insight on how we could develop these senses."

Viviane smiles apologetically before turning off the stove. With a large omelet ready to be shared, she hums. "Maybe not now, but that could change. After all, Daniel and I shared a new memory of mine when we merged."

At such a drop, Marianne straightens, then switches her attention between Daniel and the slime mother. "W-wait, what?! Why didn't you two, as Vida, tell me?"

The lake dweller smiles with her eyes and motions to the table. "We both have quite a bit to share, sister; so, why don't you finish with our child before the eggs get cold."

---

Another ejaculation later, the three sit naked at the table. Before them, Viviane's eggs distributed on their own plates. Of course, the lake dweller's ability to cook easily derives from Amy's experience, much like Anne's.

"So you're saying the same woman about to be burned by the Isis cultists is someone related to you?" Marianne asks, blinking a few times.

Viviane twists her lips. "She was trying to console me after an apparent lesson with Merlin, but...well, I don't feel anything towards her. I'm still unsure what to think. While nursing our child, I was looking online to see if there were medieval tales that might describe her, but there's nothing as far as any additional figure to such 'Lady of the Lake'. If she is someone important, then that also means I watched her possibly die by the cultists...yet, I feel nothing."

Marianne hums and twists her lips. "It's strange I didn't receive such a memory, so...that must mean you and Anne are really separated?"

Viviane nods, finding no other explanation. Not to be saddened by what little she knows, she straightens. "Although we are separated, I find it odder that you turned me blue. One would think we'd still be connected, with me growing out of Anne's mass."

"Y-you did that to yourself!" the fusion reminds, huffing. "Well, on my end, Mary and Anne were able to enter that dream world again. First, has it ever turned nighttime in that place?"

"Oh? No, not as far as my time there."

"Well, it did. We actually saw constellations from Earth in the sky, although that still doesn't mean it's a real place. Really, though, that wasn't even the troubling part: There was a white tear covering part of Aquarius and spilling magic letters!"

Daniel blinks. "Isn't that like what we saw before being pushed out after Mother disappeared?"

"Sure, but that was when it was daytime and the whole place looked like it was going away."

The artist crosses his arms. "Well, considering that realm is magical and it's just one tear now, could it just be repairing itself?"

"Maybe, or maybe my elder sister here blew a permanent hole through me!"

Viviane titters, waving her hand. "Oh, let's not be so dramatic. By that logic, if I return, the sky should be patched up, no?"

The fusion sighs, slumping. "I guess that can be confirmed when we try to sleep to it again."

The elder slime has reservations going back again, but moves on as she recalls something while digging into her son's phone.

"You mentioned this tear covered parts of the constellation Aquarius?"

"Yes...is there something?"

Viviane only hums. While still carrying Daniel's phone, she pulls it up and starts tapping.

"What's wrong?" Daniel asks, growing concerned. "Also, can I have my phone back?"

"Not yet, child. While scouring the web and nursing you, I remember seeing something pop up on the news from yesterday. Where did I see...ah!"

Leaving a gasp, Viviane quickly lays down the phone in front of them, showing a headline: "Major Aquarius Constellation Star Disappears Overnight, Baffling Scientists and Stargazers Across The World!"

While everyone freezes at the headline, Viviane reaches out to scroll down more. Other headlines clarify the disappearance further: "AL BALI, THE SWALLOWER THAT BECAME SWALLOWED."

Daniel turns pale as he shakily picks up his phone in disbelief. "This is, um...a coincidence?"

"Love, we need to stop using that word," Marianne urges, trying to dispel her disbelief.

The three, all of whom had Amy's knowledge, understood that such a star shouldn't just disappear overnight. Especially regarding Al Bali, the young star should've remained in the sky longer than humanity is likely to exist.

Leaning back into her chair, Marianne breathes out slowly, then looks at the ceiling. "Well, um...I wish there wasn't more, but unfortunately, that's not all. Mary also revisited her memory of the book through her lake, just as Viviane had."

Everyone returns their attention to the fusion, waiting to hear more.

"Merlin wrote a message of apology for her, seemingly on the same page I'm guessing Viviane observed. It was-"

"Wait, sister," the lake dweller cuts, holding up a hand while standing up. "Let me partially connect with you, so I can see and hear exactly what she experienced."

Marianne hesitates for a moment. "By partially connect, you mean to read my mind without fully fusing?"

The elder slime smiles reassuringly. "Yes, just a hand to your head will suffice. Plus, you'll also be able to view the second memory Daniel and I shared, as well as the rest of my lonely life."

Daniel nods, closing his eyes. "It's quite depressing. I felt like I was going insane during her moments."

"N-no, I don't want that!" the fusion shouts, shaking. "J-just share me the new memory that you two gained!"

The lake dweller grins, wriggling her fingers as she approaches the fusion. "Come now, sister, we're supposed to share! Don't you also want all of our son's personal memories?"

"Ooh, that sounds...no, wait!"

In the ebony beauty's distraction, Viviane had already placed a hand on her head. She freezes as the elder slime slips in through Anne's slime layer, sending gathered experience of herself and Daniel to the underlying Mary.

Cursing under her breath, Marianne shuts her eyes and weeps a little. "Aah...fuck, Viviane, you really...so sad...but Daniel...oh!"

Daniel watches with a wry smile, sipping his cup, as the last vestiges of his personal life are now completely exposed to his mothers.

For better or worse, there's no secret that isn't shared between them anymore.