‘Ah… I don’t want to die. I don’t want to leave their side, it was the first time… That I’ve been treated so kindly.’ She whispered to herself, wallowing in misery.

‘Do it now. Make a wall of Dark Aether in front of you! Swallow the light!’ Myron shouted hurriedly. “Don’t think! Just Act! It’s Just Night and Day!” Myron truly shouted, a hoarseness to his voice and Dakini weakly waved her hands over herself as if trying to cover herself with sheets.

The muffled sound of [Judgment Light] being swallowed and then fizzling out of existence made her vision snap back into focus. She moved out of the way with a Gasp. “Uah!” And a Hiss as her waist was torn open by the edge of the heavy sword of light.

She stood despite the pain, clouded in a puff of smoke and dust. She turned her fur Darker, brown, and gray and black.

‘Dreamy Gaze!’ Myron said and she responded, locking eyes with Melia and seeing her’s go hazy.

‘Astonish!’ He continued as she sprinted forward. She felt the Aether Gather, it’s icky, ugly texture coursed through her veins. Everything that is wrong with her.

‘That’s not true.’ Myron said.

‘All that made her suffer. Dark and Fairy… those disgusting energies, hated by all.’

‘It’s the people that made you suffer. The Wrong people that came into your life.’

‘You’re the right ones?’

‘What is Darkness to you?’

‘Pain, Suffering, loneliness, anger, hate, rage, a curse. It is selfishness and Ego. It is comparison and jealousy. It is ugly sewer muck, it is me.’

‘It’s partly all of those things, just like how Fire is healing but it’s also the thing that destroyed and entire Region. It cost Mery her Tribe and their home, it brought Ilo to desperation, its pain and suffering, it the horror of nature and the loss of life.’

Myron continued. ‘Light is healing, but it’s also the thing that cut you. It burns our eyes and our skin and our hair.’

‘Darkness is all those things, and we all have those emotions inside of us, but it’s also shade, it’s also calm, it can also be cool and controlled, it is nessecary as the Moon is to the Sun, as the Stars are to the Sky, as the Darkness of Night is to Life on Earth. Without the both of them we wouldn’t exist. Without Death there is no Life. Without Sadness there is no Happiness. You are all those things. I am all those things. Do you think I love you selflessly?’

‘How do you live with yourself then? If you can feel the horror that you hold all the time like I do? If you know that all those things they have said about you are true deep inside?’

“I Control it! I take control of myself and my Actions! We are what we make! Not what we think. Thinking is not a Crime! It’s a Right!” Myron declared.

“JUMP!” He ordered and Mery flew up into the air, over the crackling of [Vine Whip] and right into Melia’s range.

‘There is nothing to be afraid. Take control of your life, take control of yourself. If you ever lose it, we’ll be here to knock some sense into you.’ Myron said and pulled on Syl’s and Mery’s emotions.

Showered by their hopes, their angst, their worry, their hopes. It was in this moment of utter realization that for the first time in her life Dakini allowed herself to be an Aimon. To truly exist within her body, to breath for the first time.

The Key fell into the lock, and turned with a single satisfying click.

Her tails flared out, all six of them, their Pink tips painted dark purple, they turned thing and sharp and they cut into the air. The Wind screamed as they tore it open. Nail thin crescents of terrible energy flew forth, pumped full of Aether.

“[Night Slash]!” She howled and took on a new light, a blinding light, her new Ability crashing and cutting Melia open in six different places without remorse.

She hovered there, in the air, glowing and unmoving as Marissa rushed in and called and end to the fight. Melia was pulled away as her body spent sapped all of her Shield to revert her to a fully healed state, with Marissa aiding to speed up the process. The Cuts left by a overcharged [Night Slash] were terrifyingly deep.

Meanwhile Myron rushed into the Arena. Not worried but rather confused. Dakini slowly levitated down still encased in the blinding light. White and Golden, shifting and moving like a lava lamp all over her body. It was an incredible sight to see.

“She’s consolidating. You should talk to her. She’s going to need your help here.” Davosh said and Myron nodded.

He closed his eyes and dove into their soul. He saw her waiting for him through their bond and he rushed to get to her.

“Sorry if I’m late.” He said and she laughed.

“Do you know what the Trainer’s Job is during Consolidation?”

“No.”

“It’s to mold one of the two forms. Either the Monster form or the Human Form.”

“That’s a lot of responsibility for a guy like me, very permanent too.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“It can only be you that does it. I won’t consolidate for another Trainer.” She said and Myron blushed. He sat down right in front of her her solemnly.

“Which one do you want me to Mold for you?”

“The Humanoid. I want you to make me pretty and functional. But Pretty before anything. I can change my Form who I please so I want at least my true form which will be for the eyes of those I trust, to be something pleasant to look at.”

“Sure thing. I’ll do my absolute best.” Myron responded and called upon his skills. They echoed like soft clinging chimes within Dakini’s own soul and the two fell in silence, eyes closed, hands held together tightly.

Myron worked without rush, in silent companionship with Dakini, and savored this magical moment, the first of many hopefully. If she was to become the strongest there ever they had a lot more Tiers to ascend.

Then as he was finished, he opened his eyes and Dakini did the same.

“Do you want to take a look at all the ‘baggage’ as you would say, you’ve picked up by Bonding with me?”

“I’d love to. The more I know the more I can help you when it hurts you.” Myron nodded and his eyes rolled up in his head, his mind drifting off deeper into Dakini’s soul and down memory lane.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Myron opened his eyes next he was filling a bit peeved. Angry at what he had seen, and ecstatic at the Consolidation of Dakini. He stood up and watched on, ignoring Davosh and Marissa’s shocked; questioning looks. Dakini’s shell of light begun to crack and flake off.

She burst out of that shell a new woman. With a button nose, a pair of almond eyes, with thick lashes and powerful brows, an oval face, perfectly white and striaght teeth, full rosy red lips and skin that wasn’t exactly pale white, but wasn’t tan either.

Her hair cascded down her shoulders with a bit of a wave to them. Fur grew in between her breasts and down to her belly button, on the small of her waist, on her wrists and up to her black claws. Down her nape, Dakini showed it off as she spun and spun, her hair dancing behind her.

She chuckled and laughed, her voice melodious like a canary’s. Her waist was slim, her abs where powerful looking, washboard hard. Her legs where strong with rippling muscle, and from just above the knee her fur started once more, the legs turning foxy, ending in two strong paws from which some terrifying claws could jut out to give her proper traction and a hidden weapon. Other than her six billowing tails, longer, larger, fluffier, more elegant than ever before, with a black luster that glimmering like the night sky.

“I’m beautiful.” She declared having taken her form in, resting her head on one of her tails, placed upon her shoulder.

“That you are. I did promise my very best.”

She nodded. Myron though continued, tearing his eyes away from her and looking at the ceiling, where a burning; miniature sun had just been. “You’re also naked I happened to notice… Is this… common?” Myron asked Davosh, who nodded.

“Aimon aren’t really built to wear clothes.” Davosh shrugged, used to it. Not paying Dakini’s naked beauty any real heed. No lecherous looks, nothing. Thankfully Marissa was there in a blur of wind to save the day. She pulled a shirt over her torso, and tied a ankle length skirt over her legs, poking a hole so that her tails can go through, and hold the fabric in place at the same time.

“So… Did I succeed?” Myron asked.

“For sure. A trainer you will be without a doubt. A good one at that. If you don’t get too reckless and kill yourself soon.” Davosh answered, grasping Myron’s arm and shaking it hard. “Welcome to the Guild.” He said with a smile.

“Thank you for having me. Though I don’t know if I will remain here for long.”

“Wherever you go the Guild is the Guild. Within the Shinka Empire at least. There is no Guild in the Empire of Jupiter, and the Guild in the Champion’s Empire is simply the Government.” Davosh made sure to fill some blanks in Myron’s understanding of the world.

Then when Myron went to pull his hand from the still ongoing hand shake Davosh held it in place and leaned forward. He towered over Myron, both in width and height. Myron was a tall man as well, just a palm’s height away from 2 meters. Davosh was certainly a head taller than that.

“Something wrong?” Myron asked, feeling a bit weak, remembering the powerful killing intent Davosh had exuded as a Trainer in Battle.

“You’re weak Myron.” Davosh said. “It’s early still. You’re too young as a trainer, too old to be seen as new. You understand?”

“I have no Social Shield. I should know my way around a fight, around Trainer conversations and situations.”

“You should be experienced by now. When I was… 28, I had already trained Marissa to be a Yellow Tier Aimon. I had fought in Wars, Destroyed tribes. I have done my fair share of evil deeds as is expected of me, for my Country, for the Lords.”

“I have none of that.” Myron nodded. “And I won’t get it. I think you shouldn’t try and make my path the same as your own. Just because you succeeded doing things the way you did doesn’t mean that everyone has to follow suit.”

“I agree, that is not what I’m trying to say…” Davosh thought long and heard his big bushy brows furrowed into one.

“When the conduct expected from a Trainer at your age and at your apparent level shows the gaps that will surely exist because you are another-worlder, they will covet what you have. Because you don’t exist yet in this world. Other than your team you have no one, nothing. And to add to that you don’t even have the strength. The Grit, the confidence.”

“We’re working on it.” Myron defended himself and Davosh nodded.

“At an amazing pace, I concur. I believe you have the greatest potential out of any one trainer I have ever met. True Bonds. Loyal Aimon. Rare Aimon. Good Communcation, a Unique Mindset, an Instructor Class, that fits you amazingly, and incredible spontaneous thinking. You are set up for success. But you are not there yet and I need you to know just how underwhelming your victories so far truly are.”

Davosh voice was heavy, it beat against Myron’s chest like a hammer.

“Your orders come slow, you have no combos, not enough versatility. Your Aimon have been trained with no Goal, other than Mery who has to be a Wild Capture.” Myron nodded and Davosh continued. “You guys communicate well but you don’t know their preferences and battle style perfectly. They don’t know you that well either, in battle at least. But that is not even the worst part. You lack in the most basic of Battle knowledge. Basic Abilities that every Aimon knows, the Species of Aimon you can find in Shinka, what moves are genetically theirs inherited from Parents to Children as heritage, what types of combat styles you should expect. Nothing. You know nothing, and seeing how you fight and operate I don’t see [Inspect] being one of the Skills you pick up easily, not unless I mention that you can and should train for it as it is invaluable to have a skill like that. Which I just did and you should make it an immediate Goal.”

“Do you understand me now?”

“I do.”

“You can’t defend anything if you guys remain this way. You have the Spirit. You need to know if your Aimon have it to. Then you need to work your butts of to make it happen because otherwise your world views on Aimon and on Friendship and whatever will have you tortured and burned at the stake soon enough.”

“I get it. I understand Guild Master. Thank you for the lesson, and the wake up call. I’ll make sure to take your words to heart.” Myron squeezed at Davosh’s hand his gaze ablaze. “You won’t catch me slacking. Keep your eyes open and ears peeled because soon enough I’ll be knocking on your doorstep.” Myron smiled something savage and pulled his hand away form the stand bear of a man.

“Ghaghagha!” He laughed and snorted. “You and I go well together, like a pub and ale.”