An army of Moons marched along the pale halls of the Nexus. They followed the back of their favored Amalgam like ducklings waddling behind their mother duck. Red ribbons flanked the group, acting as protective barriers as they solely climbed the heights of the Nexus.

No one knew where they were going, only that they were asked to trust the Amalgam. Cer watched them through the reflection along the walls, seeing their unchanging faces as she wore a complicated expression. Ber was mostly the same, whereas Res kept her eyes on the walls at the end of each hall, never breaking her focus as her mind wandered off.

The Moons were exhausted. No amount of healing magic could recover their stamina. No one complained. They only obeyed, allowing their legs to lead them to what they believed was the Amalgam’s promised paradise.

Yellow-colored hearts began to emerge within their chests. It was one of concern. In their weakened state, it would be easy for them all to be eliminated in one fell swoop. Few turned to orange as they interpreted the promised paradise as death, but before it could fester into something worse, Frost turned with a hopeful smile and said:

“It’s ok. You don’t have to be afraid. I’m here to take care of you. It won’t be longer now until we reach it. So long as you’re with me then I won’t let anything happen to you~”

Frost spoke in the same voice she used for her patients, and the bereaved souls of this world. Her indomitable demeanor disappeared as her tender, unseen side came to light. The Moons were instantly taken aback by her voice…

… no, it was the contents of her words.

How long has it been since someone offered a semblance of concern? To promise to protect them? They were Moons. They were the supposed to be the protectors.

For many, it brought back memories of a precious moment in their lives.

Parents. Family. Lovers. Friends… they were people who offered these same words.

They were people who were no longer with them.

So when Frost spoke these words…

… *Sniffle*

“… huh…?”

“… what’s happening to me…?”

Tears began to flow down the cheeks of the Moons. Not all of course, but enough to make it crystal clear that her words had reached their hearts. That there was no need to fear. The anxiousness they felt dwindled away, and in came a flood of emotions that burst from their eyes like a broken dam.

They didn’t sob or whimper. They only cried as much as their body would allow them to. Serum G kept them this way to prevent them from breaking down. This in itself greatly saddened Frost the halls were filled with the murmurs of the crying Moons.

Cer suddenly nudged Frost with an elbow, whispering:

“Trying to become everyone’s parental figure or what?”

“That wasn’t my intention but…” Frost trailed off, sighing softly. “If that has to be the case, then why not. Moons are the lifeblood of this world. If no one’s going to take care of you selfless bunch, then it’s gotta be me.”

She didn’t allow herself to be heard by the Moons. Cer ended up with a stupidly wide grin on her face as she held her head up high.

“Hehehe~” Cer hummed.

“Being wanted turned out to be something a lot of us wanted all along.” Ber said, blushing at Frost’s words.

“Or just some gratitude once in a while.” Res nodded, her ears twitching as her body yearned to be patted. “Don’t even think about it…” She said unexpectedly. “Let me stay professional. At least in front of them.”

Her ending hiss was adorable.

Eventually, they came face to face with a pair of colossal doors that had no symbols or etching like the previous Floors of the Archetypes. The doors were made of pure-white marble slabs, and they slowly began opening inwards as they approached.

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“Each of you are invited into the Floor of Amalgamation. Our home is just ahead.” Frost announced.

Fantastic thoughts immediately began to form amongst the Moons as they wondered what laid beyond the dark light ahead.

What was the Floor of Amalgamation like? A garden of paradise? A world devoid of light? Perhaps a mechanical construct akin to an Atelier Workshop! A training ground? All interpretations of the Floor of Amalgamation were of exaltation, and of perfection found only within the home of the Amalgam.

They prepared themselves to be met with the most sacred place of the Nexus.

But none were prepared to be met with world so familiar to them yet so foreign. Numerous names of places came to their mind, for they had been to these places before. Not only that, but the sole structure found within the center of the floor was a manor far from the ideal perfectionism they believed this Floor to possess. Rather… it felt just like a world within a world. A small slice of paradise where imperfections were allowed to exist. It was a world that didn’t immediately demand them to conform to strict duties or roles.

It only asked that they lived here.

They were awed. Some painfully scrutinizing the manor that housed so many structural inconsistencies that it would cause a builder’s heart to stop. But that was its greatest charm, because they realized that this place facilitated growth – a concept that they struggled to grasp.

It kept slipping between their fingers as they tried to comprehend the world laid before them until suddenly, an army of bouncy slimes came to greet them. They didn’t attack or nudge their shins like slimes usually did.

Rather, these colorful, giant slimes abruptly froze just a few meters away, curious but also warry of these new arrivals.

“Domesticated… slimes…?” A Moon with cat ears tilted her head to the side.

“They’re our personal waste disposal units!” Cer clapped, reaching out to one to roughly pat, only for a slime to engulf her hand. “Tch. Be glad that the Amalgam has taken a liking to your kind.”

Definitely waste disposals, alright.

Frost though to herself, holding back a laugh as the slimes allowed the other triplets to touch them, with a tiny one hopping onto Ber’s shoulder.

“How come…?” Another Moon wondered, unable to understand the concept of coexisting with monsters.

“Because they’re useful, harmless, and cute.” Res nodded to herself. “Besides, here you’re not expected to fight. Slimes can’t do anything to a Moon, so why not keep them around?”

“… I don’t get it… We’re supposed to destroy them. So why are we friends with them?” Someone asked.

Ber rubbed the cheek of the slime on her shoulder with a finger.

“Gotta learn the hard way on how to live right. Sterilizing everything in our path has been the norm for how long now? As long as we’re here no one’s going to kill anything. Unless it’s for food.”

“What Ber said. But you can think of it as training. Consider what the Amalgam’s told you. You’ll be in a bunch of new roles.” Cer placed both hands on her hips, standing before the Moons triumphantly. “Being destructive all the time won’t cut it, especially when you’ll be tugging an Aspiring Moon around sooner or later. Look. I hate being stuck around with low lives too but… well, can’t say I hate it. At least I’m not looking over my shoulder ever minute now.”

“Yeah.” Res nodded. “We don’t fight in here. The slimes can be thought of as a gauge to test our restraint.”

… wait, I thought they actually liked having the slimes around. Poor Ignis.

Frost finally took center stage, clapping once as she gathered all eyes onto her. She then pointed out into the vast plains surrounding their manor, from the distant hills to the forests, and then to the faraway mountains that served as the backdrop of their paradise.

“This place is now your home. You may freely enter and exit as you see fit. I know there’s no houses you can call your own right now, so you may stay in ours until then.”

Frost had this planned since the beginning. It was the reason why the manor was so big and filled with countless empty rooms across its wings. It would serve as a hotel for the time being until a town of sorts could be built.

Moons, healers, and those closest to her would call this place home. She envisioned a small, cozy town filled with the strongest in Elysia, all living their lives as regular people would. For her, that small piece of normalcy was something she dreamed to regain.

She wanted to create a place where they would look forward to returning. A place in the back of their mind that would always be waiting for them.

A pleasant breeze swept by, blowing their hairs and apparel aside as their throats clogged. No number of words could describe how they felt right now. For years many had slept in filth and the guts of their enemies. In the unwashed wastes and deep in unfamiliar territory.

To be welcomed into somewhere so warm caused them to tremble. Parted mouths struggled with utter: “Are you sure?”, “Why are you doing this?”, “How can you trust us?”, but they realized that such words were wasted on the Amalgam as she answered them as though having read their mind.

“You’re my precious Moons. Of all the people in the Nexus it was only you that did your job diligently. Where the Beholders are at odds with me; where a Star betrayed me; and where the Exalted are born from a similar cut of cloth from the Impuritas; it was only the Moons that have kept away my darkest nights.”

She then placed a hand on Cer and Res’ head, with her eyes landing on Ber’s immaculate form.

“Please respect these three here. They are a large reason as to why I’ve come to adore you. Without them, I would not be here right now. I may have even come to despise the Moons. Go on. Explore. It may seem overwhelming to be given so much freedom. Sooner or later, you’ll find the things you want to do.

Until then, welcome to the Floor of Amalgamation. Welcome to your home.”