Days had passed after their departure from the gypsies. Since then John had been looking for a place to land. Icarus needed a sizeable body of water deep enough to support her. Her hull could not support itself if left on the ground during maintenance, something would collapse and then they would be in trouble.

Eventually John found a nice spot, a crystal clear lake formed from an underground stream and glacier run off.

One could see its bottom too, revealing the fact that there were no monster's living within, making it the perfect place.

A few creatures drank water at its edge but as they supported hooves, John wasn't worried about being bothered by them.

When they landed, Niera-Leafy jumped in the water while referring to something about training. Looked like she was going to practice flying underwater as flying was the fastest way to overcome their issue, more so when doing it under resistance.

John ignored them while getting to work. He was laying down a magic array that would transfer magical energy into Icarus' hull. From there she would absorb it into her reserves.

Pulling out some scrolls, he rolled out some complicated designs and connected them into a single magic circle. It wasn't complicated.

Once laid out, John tossed on some moonstones at its center and that was it. He'd return later to replace the stones but it was just a waiting game now. As he had decided to overcharge the circle and speed the process up, they could not fly. Had they charged in flight, Icarus would not of finished before arriving at the Avalon.

Looking around John considered this was going to be the last time they stopped before arriving at the Avalon.

Suddenly Niera-Leafy blasted out of the water, bringing with her a torrent of water that thoroughly soaked John.

Niera, feeling that she had done something terrible upon seeing the unintentional consequences, lost her composure. In doing so their sync became complete chaos and they fell back into the water.

She began sinking quickly and without an inch of movement John knew something was wrong.

Wet, his wings didn't operate as efficiently as before but they were still plenty strong. With a single motion he was sailing through the air to where she had just gone down.

Another push from his wings under the surface and he was able to reach.

While he did Niera caught a glimpse of him floating down to her. It was an image in full view of his body with his wings extended and sunlight rolling off his everything. Though it was just a glimpse before she was grabbed and lurched towards the surface.

John wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tight against his chest. Then she could feel the immense acceleration he produced, showing the clear difference in strength between her and him. Her the chick in the nest and him a guardian of the sky.

Niera didn't notice but her arms returned the embrace by some means in her paralyzed form. Leafy didn't notice either for that matter but that was due to her connection to Niera's mess of a mind.

John pulled them up, bursting back out of the water to land back on Icarus.

Gasping for air they coughed out the water they had stuck in their throats over the rails with great effort.

Panting heavily, "*haa, haa,* thank you John. *haa*"

John stayed silent but then came closer to rub her back, helping her to regain her bearings.

"Can you still fly?" John inquired.

"*haaaa,*" Niera-Leafy recovered. "I think so, but it's unwise to try."

"Well then, pick yourself up. We're going to the air."

"But... But..."

John just kept staring.

A meek "yes," was all that she could retort.

"Your sync with Leafy is almost complete, let me help you with the last part. Flying is difficult and stressful, especially with a split mind. You cannot perfect flying without a stable mind so it is suitable for your training."

"Ok..."

John's wings opened up, lifting him up into the air.

"The exercise is simple, catch me."

And with those words he was rocketing into the sky.

Niera-Leafy opened her own wings, unfolding them to their fullest, and took off.

The two of them flew fast while having no sense of direct, just the unspoken rule to stay over the lake.

At first Niera couldn't keep up but as time went the gap closed and she was right on his tail, which was with near absolute certainty, him going easy on her.

Pushing herself she reached and managed a grab, his ankle falling into her hand.

A rush of excitement filled her up as she accomplished something difficult. She had grabbed John's ankle.

...

She had grabbed John's ankle...

She had grabbed John...

...

3. 2. 1. System failure!

Niera's whole body went limp while her mind became a mess again. She could only fall.

John felt the grip and smiled for her efforts but then felt it awkwardly loosen immediately after.

He nosed dived, making a grab for her sides to catch her in midair.

Niera went beat red and hung her head in shame, not meeting his eyes, as John hovered with her in the air. He could feel her arms getting noticeably hotter as he kept her in the air.

"Niera, focus. Your wings have stopped."

She suddenly had a great urge to get away and her wings, responding to her, opening up once more. She immediately pulled away.

"Again."

John resumed, the gap between them increasing rapidly.

Niera took off after him, the exercise repeating.

But again, the situation repeated. She grabbed his ankle, she fell out of the sky, she was caught by John.

It even happened again for a third, fourth, fifth and so on.

Half way through the day it was still happening. This was a new type of hell for her, a hell of embarrassment.

To struggle, to become helpless, to be saved, over and over and over. It made her heart want to break from the stress.

Her body was an inferno by now, her face, ears and neck showing it by being perpetually red like a tomato. She in no way could hide it but John payed it no mind.

At lunch they took a break and John replaced the depleted moonstones with fresh ones as he had been doing in intermitted intervals throughout the morning.

During lunch John logged off to wolf down a few nutrition bars he had stacked in his room as William. In doing so he nearly choked but a bottle of water saved the day.

Taking a few minutes to relieve some other issues, John was soon back. And while back he rejoined Niera-Leafy with their lunch, while taking the chance to enjoy his new favorite drink, the Crimson Pom Pom Furrah berry alcohol which he was now calling Crimpom for short.

It went down well with some of the exotic meats the gypsies had parted ways with. Well, common to the gypsies, exotic to everyone else.

John turned his glass to Niera and as a joke asked, "want some?"

It was probably the only time he saw her not being a tomato since morning as her face suddenly went ghostly pale before shaking her head for a vigorously no. Niera washed her meal down with water.

Back up they went.

It was the same problem with the result of Niera falling and being saved.

She tried and she tried to stop it but her efforts had no effect. Rather, they seemed to work against her.

It was not until later in the day that it just happened. It didn't feel like a switch had been turned on, just the chaos occurring between Niera and Leafy simply stopped occurring.

Like this there would now be a barrier between Niera's and Leafy's consciousnesses. They were still together but if Niera felt something, Leafy had to choose to feel it too. The previous problem was that Niera could feel what Leafy felt and vice-versa, this lead to leafy feeling Niera and Niera feeling what leafy felt from her and then again continuing to endlessly increase. The concept of feeling each other without barriers simply made things a mess, polluting the mind to the point it was rendered helpless.

In any case, Niera was happy and it was appropriate to call her that again with Leafy now forced into a back seat, mostly of observation.

Niera's wings glowed green and suddenly she shot ahead of John. He finally had to try now, not wanting to use his faster flight mode where his wings stopped moving and began propelling himself with magic.

She could finally, properly, fly. And not only this, Leafy's powers were at her complete control. She could feel the new magic coursing through her.

There was no way to resist trying it out as she spoke one word.

"Grow."

A green ball of light formed in her hand then left, taking a straight line path to the nearest tree. When it struck, it did just that, growing to 3 times its original size.

Niera, having mastered Leafy's powers was now on a whole new level of powerful.

It was a new feeling, a feeling of warmth of security she hadn't had before.

John came to hover beside her.

"Congratulations. Looks like the process is complete."

"Yes, thank you John."

Niera turned to face him with absolute seriousness.

"Thank you. Thank you with everything that I am."

"Well it's good that it worked out and your welcome. But don't forget about your responsibilities."

"I never will, shall we go see her together?"

"Not much else to do so I agree, though we need a name. I know I don't spend much time with her but she is doing more than sleeping these days. It's a little troubling."

An image of the skytiger landing on Sondra popped into mind.

"I'll leave it to you John, I don't feel right about naming her."

"Then how about Aura? It’s a name involving the wind."

"It is a nice name, suits her too."

"Then let's call her Aura."

When they got down, they found Aura sleeping on the alchemy bed. It had become her favorite spot.

Her sleep was short lived however as her nose began twitching from John holding a piece of meat in the rooms middle.

Her head poked up with eyes closed, her unconscious mind following the scent of meat.

Opening and closing her mouth Aura chomped at the air.

Realizing that nothing was going in, she finally woke up with a big stretch and got up.

Sluggishly she made her way over and gently removed the meat from John's hand, following the two outside.

Their next location was the ships bow as Niera looked over the forward railing and out across the lake.

John took leaned against a spot not too far behind. He couldn't help but notice the change in her walking. Her nightmare armour had a hard sole due to the material yet she made no sound, as if she was not actually touching the deck.

"So how does it feel to become strong?"

"Hmm," Niera pouted her cheeks, "is this what you call strong? You're still stronger."

"We're you trying to surpass me?"

"Ah, no, that's not it. Hmm. Ahh?" Niera became flustered. "It's warm I guess, and comforting I guess. It's like when I was near the princess.

There were many times I was not near her but for the few that I was, I dedicated myself to letting myself stand between her and harm. Back then I was absolutely certain that I was up to the task but then everything went into turmoil with events and I lost that feeling.

It's that feeling back then, I can feel a little of it coming back."

"Your first thought when gaining power is thinking how it could protect. It's a good quality to have, don't let it go."

"I don't think I could. Without the princess and her change in thinking, the entire elven race may be on the brink of extinction. We are strong but seeing you fight and knowing that you are human... I fear for what may come in a fight with all humans.

If I fail, there is a real possibility that the elves will perish."

"Are you elves really so short sighted as to start a war that might lose them everything over purity?" John asked perplexed by the elves thinking.

"Yes, we are not like the humans in this way. Our long lifespans give us an unwavering temperament. Human's would call it stubbornness but for us that have lived longer and experienced more of life, death holds less weight in our minds.

What does hold weight is doing what's right. An elf's mind will not change without better reasoning of what's right and a person worthy of saying it."

"You elves sure do have a simple way of looking at things."

"For better, or more likely, worse, it is our way."

"Do you believe in the elves staying pure and doing what they do."

"I disagree with the genocide, that much is certain. But as to the other parts of it I do not know. My role is that of the princess' shadow maiden and I am content with it. Such as it is, the role does not include those thoughts."

"I think you should consider such things. The future is always uncertain and your opinion might matter one day."

Niera turn to look at John seriously.

"I'll consider it."

"That's good." John moved back a bit and replaced some moonstones.

When John returned there was a long pause until Niera spoke.

"John, what will happen when we reach the Avalon?"

"Nothing extravagant, I was originally going to it for a supply drop to increase funds and lighten the load Icarus. Though now I'll also be meeting a friend. She has her own agenda though and is quite busy so I doubt it will be long."

"She? You’re going to see a girl?"

There was surprise and a hint of concern in her voice.

"Hmm? Yah, I guess. She's a leading figure of a guild called paroxysm. Since I told her I was a scout, I think she just wants to say hello."

"You... a scout? That makes no sense."

"Well, you would say that after seeing me fight and fly but in just talking it's pretty easy to pass as one. All that's needed is to say you can see far and it also explains me moving around so much in remote areas. Scouts are usually inclined to exploring and mapping new locations."

"But why bother?"

"The short answer? I like my freedom. I'm not the strongest or most valuable person in the world but I could still be an asset to someone. An asset or a threat."

John began chanting. "Day and night, become my ally and hide what must not be seen, twilight mirage."

John's wings seemed to disappear into thin air, no they really disappeared. There was no trace of them at all, his wings that had been hanging over the side were gone.

"John! What did you do?!?"

"Ah, calm down. It's just a powerful illusion spell, my wings are still there but contained in their own dimension."

"Huh?"

"Well, I'll be doing it on the Avalon and rather you not get surprised by it and make a scene. It's my other reason for being called a scout."

"Ah? You’re not going to tell me why then? It seems Leafy asked already."

"She did and I'm sorry but my answer remains the same."

"It's okay, I won't ask and respect your wishes. I owe you too much."

"I don't like the idea that you keep it due to a feeling of owing but appreciate it none the less."

"I owe you my everything John, and although I don't know what's around the next corner, I do not despair and have hope. You saved me, then even still gave me Leafy, powerful armour suited to my task, and are taking me towards my goal. Please, never have guilt for I am happy to repay this debt."

"Haa, do what you want then." John sighed at her determination.

"I will and it includes repaying kindness with kindness."

Niera looked at John with a warm smile then reached for him. His heart skipped a beat in shock but as he found her hand reaching for his absent wings he settled down.

"Can you teach me this skill? I think it best if I didn't stand out as well." Niera inquired.

"That would be impossible but, ah! yes. It's not a difficult skill."

Beautiful girls had a hard time staying out of the limelight.

So as night came John explained the theory behind it, how it was done using a light and dark spirt and how to invoke it. The two created a twilight boundary between each other that created the dimension while also acting to make ones appearance natural in absence of what it hid.