Special Chapter 2: Season of Giving?

Before the meeting, Frost and Jury had some time to spare on their shopping date. With a plethora of coins to spare and hearts in dire need of mending, Frost wanted to give something from their world above to their new friends.

Think Christmas shopping! Just in a different world.

“Christmas? Is that a celebration?” Jury wondered aloud as they shopped around the built-in mall of the Golden Guild.

Hundreds of people swarmed in all directions. The scent of delicious food, the endless chatters and the sound of bells gave off a strangely festive mood. The only thing missing were the Christmas decorations.

“I can’t remember what it was about at the top of my head aside from it being a time for giving.” Frost said as they passed into a large store containing assortments of toys.

Plush toys ranging from the handheld all the way gigantic, three-meter beast lined racks upon racks. Miniature sculptures of exotic stone and wood, beautiful jewelry boxes, rubber balls, marbles, and themed building blocks were but a few of the vast assortment of items the store displayed.

It was magical, and the whimsical lights of the fairies only added to the store’s wonderland-esque feel. Children gleefully strolled the isles with siblings or parents, and people shopped in pairs or alone for their loved ones. Frost thought back to Stella and Aster, as well as the Ex-slaves.

She wondered if they had people in their lives they missed. Stella never knew her parents, and she was aware that the cat-girl had a long-lost family she dearly loved.

“What do you think they’ll like?” Jury asked.

“I kind of want to get them something that’ll remind them of family. Something to symbolize it. That they’re not alone anymore.” Frost fondly spoke as they combed through the isles in search of gifts. “Call me tacky, but that’s how I really feel. I think getting people something, even if it’s small, can make all the difference.”

“Did you do that for people in your world too?”

“For loved ones. I’m sure of it.” Frost could not confirm or deny it. With her memory being so patchy she could only assume that she did. “I wonder if the Alter Frosts will like anything.”

“A hug from me~?” Jury hummed.

“That can be your gift. I want them to know that I appreciate them. Even if they’re just a reflection of myself. Kind of easy to tell we’re the same but… I like to think that they also have a will of their own.” Frost said, picking up a beautiful jewelry box, containing a small mirror. “The Big Frost won’t listen to my words unless I pay her. I guess that’s proof?”

Their mellow exchange lasted until they received every item for their friends. Frost wrapped them up in a special, colorful wrap and tied them off with a ribbon. She somehow remembered the wrapping process being far harder.

This was likely thanks to her immense AGI, which also dictated a person’s coordination and fine motor skills. Although, something akin to ‘Dexterity’ would have better defined coordination skills. AGI encapsulated it all.

Frost initially planned to hand out her gifts the following day, but due to an unforeseen incident involving Cer and the robbing of slot machines, it was postponed to later today.

Thus, she was given time to seek out her friends and hand them their gifts.

Frost called out to her friends with a wide wave in the lobby of Carpal Tower. The tower was still left reserved for their small, private group and was planned to reopen a week later, granting the ex-slaves a short break.

Despite how few of them there were, it was livelier than any celebration Frost had the pleasure of attending. Once again, all that was missing were Christmas decorations to perfectly set up the occasion.

Following Frost were a small number of will o’ the wisp-like fairies. They each telekinetically hauled one of her wrapped gifts. She had asked for their help to distribute the gifts prior. They were, in a way, kind of like magical delivery drones now that she thought about it.

They swooped through the lobby and gently placed the gifts into the paws and hands of her friends.

“Plush toys? What the – Do I look like a kid to you~?” The cat-woman joked, waving around a skewer stick. “That’s the 63rdadded to my collection! Thank you~!”

Apparently, this dealer cat-woman was a plush-toy connoisseur. Frost could only imagine what her home looked like. Still, she was happy that they she had the freedom to collect them in the first place… compared to her life only just a month ago.

“Picture frames…” The maid cat-girl uttered, unravelling a beautiful collage photo frame to display her family pictures. A certain *snap* captured yet another one of her happiest moments, and the polaroid came gliding down like a snowflake.

This picture, however, was not of her family. It was instead of the collective hug her new ‘family’ gave her at the bathhouse in Little Tais. That moment alone was what saved her from Serum S; and Frost still lamented that she allowed such a thing to happen in the first place.

But her mind didn’t fall onto the pitfall that was the ‘what ifs’. She couldn’t change the past. She could only learn from it, and she was at least pleased that things did turn out for the best despite the event.

Frost ended up unconsciously patting her head. Just like Ignis, her ears were soft beyond belief. She had petted cats before, but none were quite like this, and just like Snap’s body, her hands felt like they could infinitely sink into the sea of fluff.

“Thank you. Is it ok if I use this picture?” She showed it to Frost in all its glory.

She nearly burst out laughing, seeing her half-naked form shoved off to the side of the bath. Snap had conveniently censored their vulnerable parts using the steam.

“That reminds me… Snap. What were you doing inside of the woman’s bath?” Frost asked with a cunning grin, causing the giant spider to instantly shake its head.

“Brrr! B-Brr. Bzzz… Br….” It tried to defend itself, trailing off as Frost’s grin only continued to grow. She bet that underneath all that fuzz Snap was as red as a tomato.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I know you’re not like that. I just found it funny you were in there in the first place.” Frost warmly embraced Snap’s giant head. “You haven’t changed at all. And I mean that in a good way.”

“Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.” Snap purred, rubbing its head thoroughly against her as a form of revenge.

“Ahaha. It tickles!”

She didn’t know what to get Snap, so she defaulted to a plush toy. This one, however, was a giant, yellow spider plush and it sat right on top of its head. Kind of like how a mother scorpion carries its babies on its back.

It was adorable.

The other ladies then swarmed Frost with gratitude. The fox-woman sincerely bowed, whilst the bee-lady shook Frost’s hands with all 6 of hers. The bunny girl flashed her with a suggestive pose, showcasing her assets which were emphasized by the dangerous bunny outfit she wore.

The wolfwoman brazenly showcased her abs, having heard of a rumor that Frost admired muscular physique. While true thanks to Jury, it wasn’t the reason why she loved her in the first place. Jury, realizing that this woman was trying to steal Frost away, clasped onto her hand and brushed it against her own belly.

A xylophone. A brick wall but with some squish to it. The difference between them was so staggering that the wolfwoman’s ears drooped in defeat as she retreated with her tail tucked between her legs.

But of course, Frost was kind enough to approach her and grant her a head pat.

“Sorry. I’m already taken. But don’t let that stop you from giving up. There’s plenty more people out there.”

“But there’s only one of you. Unless!?” She said, referencing the alter Frosts, which prompted Jury to instantly glare at her.

All Frosts belonged to Jury. No questions asked.

She surrendered instantly, her tail shooting up like a frightened cat. But not without smiling back at Frost and flexing her biceps.

“Maybe I’ll have a better chance when I become a Golden Middle Captain!” She exclaimed. “And – Thank yoooooooooooou! You can’t stop me from sleeping with this plush!”

“That’s a reverse Cer if I’ve ever seen one.” Frost mumbled.

“You need to watch out for the Wolf ones. Ber and Res are ok. Cer on the other hand…” Jury trailed off with a sigh.

“Ah. That’s right. Your eyes work on her too, huh.” Frost chuckled.

Then, the curious, glaring Ignis strolled over curiously. She didn’t receive a gift like the others from the fairies. This was because Frost personally wanted to hand it over to her.

“Hey Ignis. Can you close your eyes for a second? Hold your hands out like this.” Frost politely asked her, and once Ignis followed her instructions, a small paper-wrapped gift appeared in her palms. “Open it up~ It’s for you.”

She unwrapped the gift and was pleasantly surprised to find a golden pendant. Her father used to keep a similar one with her picture, and she almost believed this to be the original. But she knew that the pendant was long gone due to the flames that engulfed her home.

There was no photo within, but that didn’t detract from the meaning of this gift. She clutched it close to her chest and thanked Frost from the bottom of her heart.

“I’ll cherish it. Just like papa did.” Ignis whispered, responding with a rare, adorable smile. She hugged Frost’s waist and snuggly buried her face into her chest, appreciating her thoughtfulness.

The next recipients were naturally the triplets, who were hiding out several floors higher thanks to Cer’s shenanigans. Finding these three a gift was like trying to find water in a desert. A plush was out of the question since they didn’t exactly have a place to call home, other than the Nexus of course.

It couldn’t be something practical either since tools were useless to a Moon. Unless it was an Atelier Item.

Therefore, an accessory was the only thing that came to mind. Jeweled hairclips. They were all diamonds, each in a unique color.

Blue for Cer.

Black for Ber.

And Red for Res.

“Hairclips… I can’t remember the last time I used one.” Res said. “It’s pretty.”

“Woah! Look at how it shines! I thought it was opaque but it’s super transparent!” Ber adored it.

“Diamond. What’s with this budget Diamond Counter? I’m kidding. Thanks Frost. Heh… A gift from you of all people. I’m finally moving up in the world.” Cer cheekily grinned at Jury. “What about you? Have anything for us too?”

“… food. I thought something more filling would be better.” Jury said, pulling out a bunch of skewers from her Dimensional Storage.

In fact, 90% of her storage was populated with food they had bought from the mall. If Frost wasn’t there to stop her, then she would’ve wiped them all clean. The amount of coins Frost possessed, which hardly took any space in her Dimensional Storage, was equivalent to a mobile bank.

“Why is that so you, Jury?” Ber questioned Jury.

“Because it’s me?” Jury didn’t know what she meant by that, causing Frost to stifle a laugh.

“No… Tch. Never mind.” Ber sighed, wearing the hairclip with a small grin. “… does it look ok? It’s not out of place?”

“It’s perfect! You just need to grow out your hair again.” Cer assured.

“Yeah. It looks great. It’s ok Ber. Anything you wear looks good on you.” Res held her sister’s hand.

“Because if you look good in something, then so do we!” Cer then laughed, scrubbing Ber’s short hair. “Maybe we should all get matching hairstyles. That way no one can tell who’s who!”

“You just want someone to take the blame for your mischief.” Jury chuckled.

* * *

Frost didn’t exactly know what to get Magus and Carpalis either. Unlike the others, she had to ask them. Magus was just glad that Frost existed, as weird as that sounded. As for Carpalis…

“Hehehe… You’ve already given me frostbite. Get it? When you bit Mr. Herring? Sorry… I’m already pleased that the Big Red Heart… Oh. The Heart of Ours. Its subjugation is already enough of a gift.” Carpalis hummed. “That celebration… that reminds me of the time Galia tried gifting the Beholders with presents. That was a tradition in her faraway home. It was sad to see so many of them dismiss her.”

Afterwards, and last but not least; Frost went to visit Stella, Ponea, Sana and a sleeping Aster. The four of them, as well as the Big Frost and Little Frost, shared one of many homes in a residential village not too far away from Carpal Tower.

It had its own walled off perimeter and private guards; most of which were personnel who served in the battle against the Big Red Heart. They greeted Frost with utmost respect and were among the very few who knew her as the Amalgam rather than the Black Dove.

Rows of cozy, double story cottages ran along a strip, where benches, a playground and a small lake with a pier sat. A number of the Derma layer citizens spent time exploring their new surroundings, as children awkwardly navigated the playground as if it were a warzone, and the lake was subject to fascination as many were stunned by their reflections.

It was both heartbreaking and pleasant to see them again. She hoped that they’d get well in time. Frost and Jury didn’t even need to knock on the wooden door of Stella’s estate. They were instantly greeted by her alter Frost’s, who shot emojis depicting themselves waving at her.

Funnily enough, the Little Frost’s wave depicted a child waving enthusiastically, whereas the Big Frost displayed a highly militaristic and disciplined wave. It was almost like a salute, but there was an odd cheerful charm about it… despite how serious her face always looked.

However, she could have sworn that she shot a loveheart emoji as soon as her eyes fell onto Jury.

My competition is none other than me… How much to bribe her just to keep her hands off Jury?

“Priceless.” Nav revealed.

Huh!? Frost blankly blinked, right as the Big Frost brought a hand to her mouth, as if holding back a small laugh.

“The Hired Arm is pulling your leg.”

“Really now. Haaah. Well… I have something for you two. Thank you for your hard work.”

Frost began, presenting them each with a small jewelry box. They glanced at each other simultaneously before opening it up and were instantly greeted with a reflection of themselves in its tiny mirror.

“I don’t know how much of me is in there… But I like to think that have your own wants and needs. Thoughts. Aspirations. Fears even. I don’t want to think of you both as just an extension of myself. Maybe it sounds weird to you, but that’s how I feel. So – Thank you. For keeping everyone company.”

Frost thanked the Little Frost.

“And for helping so many people out, even if it was because I paid you off.” She then thanked the Big Frost.

“The Hired Arm states that it ‘functions’ on coins. If its an order, then she’s already done a few on her own accord. And the Little Frost hasn’t said anything. She’s melting over the fact that you’re thanking her.”

“It’s a giant family of look alikes. Aha. Well. Would sisters better describe us?” Frost wondered, speaking sheepishly as the Little Frost fidgeted in place, throwing up blushing emojis.

Then, both alter Frosts suddenly shook their heads, and then pointed at themselves and Frost.

“I thought so. We’re just me, but… well, not me at the same time. How confusing.”

They both nodded, right before Jury suddenly wrapped them all up with her tail and bundled them together for one big hug. Frost’s head was instantly squished between Jury and the Hired Arm’s chest, nearly suffocating her as the Little Frost squirmed in her arms.

“Awww! Sorry! I couldn’t resist with so many Frosts anymore!” Jury exclaimed, squeezing even tighter.

Her tail’s strength could crush boulders with just a touch. If Frost’s DEF stat was any lower, she would have no doubt been snapped in half. It was a miracle that the Little Frost was still alive!

But at the same time, her tail was soft. So irresistibly soft that she thought that maybe dying like this wouldn’t be so bad.

Afterwards –

She presented her gifts to Stella, Sana and Ponea. It was a strange group now that Frost thought about it. A Scarlet Healer, a regular fledgling healer, and a blind girl.

Would there be a new generation of Stars, Moons and Exalted? Who knows. Frost could only dream of a better world, and she was happy that Carpalis was on board to provide for these people in desperate need.

“A music box?” Sana took hold of a small, cube-shaped object that played a mellow tune when opened. “Money… Let me pay you for it – Oh!? I don’t have to? But… Ok.” She was saddened that Frost wouldn’t accept her patronage. Such was the kindness that the healers exhibited.

It angered her knowing that there were people who took advantage of people like Sana, and she basked in the glory of having eaten Leitmotif.

“A music box as well? Did you run out of ideas? I prefer the sound of the heart aching… Haaah… The crackling of a drowning man slowly getting better… Haaah. Or how about the snapping of bones reconstructing themselves?” Ponea took the music box and hyperventilated, her face flushing slight red at the thought of respiratory sounds. “It’s funny. In the century I’ve spent as a Scarlet Healer, there hasn’t been anyone that outright told me thanks. Healers… had it rough. The new generations must be protected. I’m glad you agree as well.”

Ponea didn’t go into any further detail. She was wise, but also extremely volatile. The woman was just happy to be acknowledged for once, not that she really cared in the first place.

Healing was more important to a Scarlet Healer, after all.

“Haah… What should I cook for everyone? Vegetables for good nutrition? Meat? What’s the best efficiency to keep everyone’s body healthy? So many options… So little time before lunch~” Ponea grew excited just at the mere thought of cooking something nutritious for the residential village.

As creepy as it was, Frost found it endearing that she put that much thought into nutrition. Frost was no dietician to dictate what was good or bad compared to what Ponea knew in her countless years of experience.

Then, finally, it was Stella’s turn.

“U-Um. Angel! Frost! You’re back! A-Aster’s still asleep but – She’s breathing so that’s ok, right!?” Stella exclaimed, estatic to see Frost again. “I-I heard about what you did! And I heard my friends too! They’re with you, aren’t they? In here?”

She pointed to her heart. Frost’s eyes swelled.

“Yeah. They’re all with me. Safe and sound… Stella. I have something for you.” Frost then handed over an unwrapped item.

It was a shell with a lantern in the middle. Stars and all sorts of shapes were stamped out along the face of the shell. The object was a primitive version of a projector, and Stella instantly recognized the shapes just by touch alone.

“Stars…” Stella whispered.

“It’s a projector. I know you can’t see them, but they’ll always be watching over you. Isn’t that what your friends said?” Frost gently spoke, kneeling as she twisted a small winch that caused the lantern to suddenly emit a warm light.

Sana instantly rushed to shut off the magical lights, allowing an array of stars to clutter their dark room.

“They did… I heard them say that.” Stella held the item close to her chest. “U-Um… Will Aster wake up again?”

“She will, and you’ll be right beside her when she does, right?” Frost rubbed the girl’s head.

“Y-Yeah. I don’t want her to be alone. U-Um… I’m sorry again. For trying to hurt your friend. A-And… for thinking you were trying to steal all our food.”

“That’s our line. We hurt a lot of you.” Frost apologized, drawing Stella into a hug. “But it’s ok now. Your friends are with me, and they’ll be watching over you and Aster. Besides, you have another couple of Angels with you as well.”

“Are you going somewhere?” Stella asked, sensing this.

“Far away. There’s a lot more to do. A lot more to see. And a lot more people that don’t want to be hurt anymore.”

“… In… I-In… I’m sorry. In 10 years… Maybe 20 – do you think that maybe I’ll be able to see? Or maybe help people again? Not like a star… But as me?” Stella sincerely asked. Despite abandoning her aspiration to become a star, she still wished to help people out.

Frost couldn’t laugh or mock Stella’s aspirations. She had already proven herself capable after reaching out to her Corrupted friend, and she was still mentally strong despite everything she had gone through…

The one thing she did find funny, however was that despite not wanting to be a star, she wanted to be ‘Stella’. Which meant Star.

“If you try hard enough, then nothing’s impossible. Just don’t try to reach for something too far away, or you’ll end up like that Herring and Leitmotif.” Frost concluded and prepared to depart with Jury.

“I-I understand!” Stella exclaimed. “A-And – Good luck!”

“Goodbye. Please, everyone, take care of yourselves.” Frost bid farewell.

“Look after them. Please don’t let them get hurt.” Jury said to the alter Frosts, to which they both gave a physical thumbs up.

It was over now. They were greeted by the afternoon sun, and a gentle breeze that swept through the city. Love, happiness, and most of all; hope flourished in the air as Jury clasped onto her hand and pecked Frost’s lips.

“That’s our gift~” Jury hummed. “But being with you is already a gift enough. I’m happy that more people are coming out of their dark forests. Because the world is so much brighter on the other side.”

They both gazed up into the clear skies.

Frost couldn’t agree any more.