Chapter 1686: Yuki's Awakening
The Frost Rat Monkey that evolved into the Ice Monkey Chinchilla.
The Dragon Bloodline of Drake.
And her own desire to be more "humane" in both appearance and personality.
These three aspects of Yuki's own existence, despite seemingly melding well together, were in complete imbalance.
The reason? She couldn't accept her own origins, nor embrace them.
Although she took Drake's blood at the beginning and liked her changes, she also quickly realized she looked aberrant now.
Draconic scales, horns, and tail, fur and chinchilla-like ears over her entire body, a chimeric being, she didn't look like any beast-kin woman she had ever seen in the big cities.
This created a great lack of identity, and a great denial of what she was, of what she had turned herself into.
The more she sought her humane form, the more these two "flaws" became more apparent, and the more she despaired at the thought that she would never be the ideal girl she always imagined herself being.
Even as a tiny little Rat...
The words of the Phoenix and the Tiger did not mean that she had to forfeit what she had become now, not at all.
But they meant that she had to come to terms with her own insecurities and understand that her origins were also part of what made her who she is now.
"My origins and what I am now... They don't have to be separated; they don't have to be mutually exclusive... I am myself."
Yuki then realized it, her eyes widening.
Her Soul Ocean shook, its waves beginning to swirl around her.
Suddenly, three phantasmal figures appeared behind her, Yuki recognized them as her own identities.
The little Monkey Chinchilla, adorable, small, intelligent, hard worker...
The internal dragon within her, inherited from Drake's desire to keep her safe, a connection to her best friend, and the one that gave her life a new meaning...
And the cute girl she was now, her smile, her energetic demeanor, her strength, and her love for her friends, which she often hid behind a veil of irony...
"I'm sorry... for never accepting you guys..." she sighed. "I am not a freak; I am just all of you... What I've felt this entire time wasn't because I thought I was hideous; it was because I didn't love myself... I didn't want to appreciate who I was."
"You've accomplished many things, Yuki," her inner dragon said. "Be proud of who you are, and what you've achieved so far. Every little grain of sand counts."
"Every single one, yeah! Ukiii!" her little Chinchilla self-nodded, jumping adorably. "Always remember me! I am the one that taught you how to survive, and how to explore the world!"
"I will..." Yuki smiled. "I'm sorry for always rejecting you..."
Yuki hugged her Chinchilla-self, her little beast, the being she was born and spend years as.
"I'll always be there for you!"
She slowly dissipated, becoming part of her own self.
FLASH!
"I'm sorry if the changes I gave you ever made you think you were a chimeric freak, you're beautiful, Yuki," said her dragon self. "I am your inner guardian, the courage and bravery of dragons, imbued within Drake's bloodline. This is his gift to you, and I'll always protect you and be your strength."
"Yes... I understand, thank you," Yuki nodded. "Without you, I would have never been able to become stronger..."
She hugged her inner dragon, as the beautiful, slender dragon made of silver and blue scales hugged her, the two becoming one.
FLASH!
And lastly, her human self, a remnant of her previous life, and her greatest desire, to become like her and nothing else.
"I am your ideal self, and the goal you've always strived to become... But at the same time, I am flawed, just like your previous selves. There is no true "ideal self", only you. And only when you accept yourself for what you are, and for what you have become, you will find inner peace, and happiness..."
"I-I know... I'm sorry for always forcing everything into you... I am really happy for what I've accomplished so far, and even if I have only attained a speck of your beauty, I am glad... Wanting more would only be greedy. I have to accept every fragment of what makes me who I am."
"Indeed... Come here, I am you, and you're mine... Never forget, that you're beautiful and strong, Yuki!"
The two merged again, as the Soul Ocean shook, becoming an ocean of azure light, blindingly brighter than anything ever.
The two Divine Beast Spirits glanced in utter disbelief as the sea fused with Yuki completely, creating her true self.
To control her powers, she must first control herself, her own emotions, her own insecurities, and accept what she is, and embrace her own identity.
"I am who I am... And that is fine."
The two Divine Beast Spirits nodded, rushing towards her, and fusing with her as well. FLAAASH!
The blinding azure light coming from Yuki's soul shone as brightly as the sun itself.
And it was said that Amaterasu was the Goddess of the Sun.
The fragment of her soul, of her true Divinity.
It finally awakened as Yuki fully accepted herself.
...
The pink flames of the two Demon Generals engulfed everything, as they deadly beam of destruction pushed Tisha and Pekora further down.
The two already started to plan to grab Yuki and escaping before the beam were to hit Drake's Domain above the ground.
However, by doing so, there would be a small chance of them not having enough time, and ending up hurt, or worse, dying.
She didn't want to ask for her help, Tisha thought of Yuki as a still very unexperienced youngling, unlike her, who was an old and veteran elven warrioress. Yet, at this moment, they didn't have any options...
Yuki had amazing potential, they had to ask for the young girl's help!
"YUKI! COME HELP!"
There was silence for a few seconds, Tisha and Pekora thinking Yuki had entered a deep meditative state and wouldn't answer.
Yet, that thought quickly vanished.
When she opened her eyes.
"Very well."
FLAAASH!
And from within her eyes, which had become like beautiful azure pearls, a bright azure sunlight surged, so potent and powerful, it pierced through the Demon Generals beam.
And completely destroyed it.
BOOOMMM!!!