Aster rocked on her heels with anticipation as she watched the stream of young bonds.
Fens bonds were arriving in this batch, which was understandable but made her sad, as she wouldnt get to spend much ti with them before she graduated at the end of the year.
Still, she understood them wanting to wait for Azure to reach Tier 8, so they could go to the academy without having to worry about her and the two other youngest bonds Fen had acquired in the anti. Though, understanding didnt an she was happy with only having a year to interact with them, as they were so of her oldest friends.
When she heard a crash of thunder, she knew her targets had arrived, and she was proven right when Bow and Arrow pushed their way to the edge of the crowd and started scanning for her.
Aster jumped forward, ignoring Caron's glare digging into her back.
Really, the Otter should have expected this when she warned everyone she was going to say hello.
Fen had stepped off the Path imdiately after reaching Tier 15, and along with him, the rest of his bonds. Aster most regularly talked with Arrow, who described the struggle they had in advancing at Path rates with such a large group, and how Fen had barely made it to immortality on the Path, only three months before his birthday. It was a little sad to hear that there was one less group on the Path with them, but they had little expectation of making it any further, especially with the bonds coming to the academy for a decade. Still, from the ssages she received from Bow and Arrow, none of them were upset with the decision. Best of all it gave Fen more ti to care for Azure and his other young bonds, letting them have a more traditional childhood.
She wished she could have seen the young dragon, but getting to see the others was still nice.
Seeing the wolves, golden mouse, porcupine, and oversized earthworm, Aster waved. Hey, guys. It's so good to see you. I cant linger, but we can talk in the coming months. You can take any seats you like, but Id recomnd you stick with the people who you t up with along the way.
As she pointed to near where she and her pod had sat, she had a pang of sadness at the mories.
This was her last year at the Academy and the last year with her friends.
Not letting that get to her, she gave a few quick hugs to the group of bonds before returning to her place in line with the Student Council mbers.
Caron ticked at her. That was unprofessional, Aster.
Aster waved her off with her tail as she straightened her uniform. I know them, just like I said. I cant say we're besties, but I spent a good amount of ti with the wolves before we were sapient, and we've kept in touch. At our Tier 10 tournant, they got Azure, a baby dragon. I spent a good while with her when she was with the other bonds who weren't fighting. They are my closest beast friends from when I was young. I was going to say hi.
Caron just gave her a blank look at her explanation. Everything you said is an excuse. And not even a good one. Stay in line so we don't give the Student Council a bad na. We are the example they should strive for.
Aster set her face in a more neutral expression but sent Caron a quick ssage with her blowing a raspberry.
She zoned out for the long speech by the Headmaster that shed had to sit through for five years now, and only woke up when the students got assigned their rooms.
She had hoped all of Fen's bonds would get put together, but knew that was an impossibility. Like the lioness twins, Leia and Lauren, if a human had more than one, they were always separated as much as possible to foster more independence.
Bow and Arrow were sent to the water and air houses, respectively. Garnet, the porcupine, was sent to the earth house. Ruby, the earthworm, went to the water house, and Kenny got the air house.
Seeing that two of them would be in her house, Aster made a note to slip into their dorm area and say hello. She was Roc house but they were Eagle, and right next door, so it wouldnt even be too hard.
After the Deans and the Prefects led the new students away, Aster quickly slipped away before the Headmaster could corner her. With the look in his eyes, she was sure shed be getting a stern talking-to and would rather not.
Instead of that, she decided shed rather get so of her actual work done.
As tenth years on the Student Council, they had more than their fair share of work on their plates. She also needed to finish up her little bargain with Alyssa in the next few months if she wanted to get a cut of the profits. Together, they had bought out a number of businesses in high-traffic locations through the Nest. Aster owned fifty-one percent of the shares, but as she wasnt remaining here and couldnt manage the businesses, Alyssa needed help keeping everyone in line.
Her own reputation for being willing to ice cube Frank had spread far and wide with a little push of the rumor mill, and no one pushed back against her orders. That, and her connection to Mara, but Aster liked to think it was just the ice cubing that kept them in line. Alyssa, who was a simple Tier 13, and originally from a vassal kingdom, wasn't treated with nearly as much respect.
And Aster wasnt willing to let her portion of the Feathers that those businesses earned slip out of her fingers with creative accounting. The Feathers could be converted to goods, but that wasnt why she wanted them. No, she wanted to establish her ice cream business in a location with limited competition.
In the last two years, she had created over a hundred unique flavors of ice cream centered around bonds and those with a bloodline's unique tastes. The samples she and her now much larger ice cream club gave out were always in high demand, but Aster wasnt in it for the money, and was selling at a loss just so more people could enjoy the deliciousness. That was why she couldnt let even a single feather go.
Alyssa had the original idea to buy a business in the Nest and was willing to run it if Aster put up the capital, but Aster had wanted to be more aggressive, so they ended up buying a dozen shops. The peahen would be doing most of the work of running the day-to-day businesses, so Aster couldn't just let her get run roughshod over.
That didnt an she had a magic answer, though.
After she finished her paperwork, she went to her ice magic club to enjoy herself and chat with the others. Thankfully, Michael showed up despite looking like a kicked puppy, but Aster and Professor Adams were quite happy with that result.
It had taken him two years of therapy to even get a glimpse of what was wrong with his bond and their relationship, and he was taking it hard. Thankfully, those who knew him were rallying around him without any prompting from her or the others.
She had been told about the fallout by a weepy Michael, who had struggled with his bond's reaction to his suggestion that she join him for so joint therapy. Charlotte hadnt seen the need for therapy, and when Michael hadnt acquiesced to her rejection, she had sent him a ssage filled with vitriol about how she knew the academy would poison him against her.
Aster wanted to go and wring the woman's neck even just hearing the story secondhand, but that wasnt necessary. The Academy was more than capable of handling such people, and slapped her with a five-planet restraining order that also included a number of restrictions on any ssages.
They wouldnt force Michael to break his bond, but Aster hoped he would do it on his own. That woman didnt deserve him, but she also knew how hard that kind of decision could be. Losing Matt in one of her Folded Reflection lives, she knew the pain and emptiness that a broken bond could create and wished it on no one.
Still, she believed that that would be better than being tied to such a wicked person.
Beyond looking out for Michael, she watched Cynthia, who had started to take over for her in this little informal club of theirs. She would be a good replacent for guiding the newer bonds on elental manipulation, but beyond that, she was a deft hand at interpersonal relationships. It gave her hope this club could last for a few centuries, if not longer.
Picking a good replacent was harder than she had ever considered, but she was happy with her choice.
She just hoped that the replacent for Vice President would be as good.
Personally, she wanted Damien, the current Scribe, to take over for Caron, as he was the only lower-classman who had a good head on his shoulders. But she didnt trust any of the others who werent graduating with them to take over her position.
Still, that wasn't her job. She couldnt interfere in the elections despite knowing things would be rough if Tress was elected Vice President.
If the woman did make it, Aster knew she wouldnt be elected for a second year, but it still galled her to have her mantle taken up by such a layabout.
But goodbyes were the na of the year.
After getting off work, she went to her ice cream club, where she got tearful at seeing the two dozen bonds goofing off and making truly awful ice creams. It was even better to try each one together. Whether they laughed or gagged at the taste, it was fun.
Bound by their love of sweets, the club had grown into sothing she wouldnt have thought possible when it was just her pod that started it.
Once her club ended, she hurried to the movie club, where she was really hit with a bat of emotions.
Kelly had really co into her own as a director and had made a few short films that had gotten so traction in the nearby planets. She wasnt making anything that would reach a movie theater yet, but Aster was sure she would get there eventually.
Her bird friend had an eye for artistic shots and had a way of captivating the viewer.
She wasnt Talented in the craft, which hurt her mass market appeal, but Aster knew she could watch her films for hours without getting bored.
In fact, she was intending to open up her own studio with her human Alexa, who would be moving to help in her venture. Alexa was a delver by trade, but that was admittedly more a product of them not being able to advance without fighting than desire. She had already taken courses in business managent so she could help run Kellys little studio, which Kelly was ecstatic about.
Juan and his human were both movie buffs, and the elephant had taken to being in front of a cara like it was a mud bath. While his bond, Adam, wasnt as comfortable in performing, he had found his calling in cinematography, and would be joining the others. With four Tier 15s, even if Juan and Adam werent the best delvers, they had a surplus of money to give it a fair shot, and Aster was excited as to what they would produce.
She had already made inquiries about getting them the rights to one of the awful Quill and Torch movies that would be made in the coming years, but she was inford that they needed a significant track record, and far more people, in order to even have a chance at producing such a high value movie.
Roody, Leia, and Lauren were the friends who surprised her the most. The three of them intended to continue their relationship after graduation and wanted to advance to Tier 25 in the next two or three thousand years, which was quite the rush for most people. Still, they made a good team, and the twins bond was apparently willing to move to be closer to Roody's bond's harem as it was a t18 world and they could more easily advance there.
Aster still found it funny how the lionesses had so thoroughly tad Roody. From a wanna-be playboy who talked about having a dozen won in his pride, he had settled into dostic life quite nicely. Beyond so teasing, everyone agreed it was a good look on him, and the three of them were an adorable throuple.
Katherine, on the other hand, was a partial success when compared to Michael. Her bond really had seed to shape up in the last few years, and he was even willing to go to a therapist of his own to work through his own issues.
That said, they both agreed they needed more ti apart, and Katherine wanted to have a career beyond delving, so she was going to secondary school to beco a therapist, specializing in bonds and those with bloodlines. Aster was proud of her for coming through her ordeal so much stronger, but was also relieved that her human was truly changing for the better.
Being treated like a pet was not nice.
But seeing Katherine laugh with one of the younger club mbers with a tail and cat ears was like a success story of its own.
Though, it was still more change.
Caron, who had joined the club as sort of an unofficial mber last year, ca over to her and bumped her side. Why do you look like an ice pop left out in the sun?
Aster sighed and gave the other woman a half-hearted glare. It just hit today that everyone is leaving at the end of the year, and we won't be able to just hang out like we do today. It makes sad. We all agreed to keep in contact, but that's easy to say and hard to do.
Carons usually bright hair dimd a little as she nodded. Agreed. It hit a few weeks ago when I was trying to sleep. It will be nice to see my human again, but Ive made so good friends here. Im going to be sad to say goodbye.
Aster nodded. Her magma otter frenemy hadnt lost any of her ambition just because she was going to graduate. No, she had been taking extra classes on leadership and politics and intended to return to her hotown to run for its mayor position. Not that the place was badly run, but Caron had a knack for making each mana stone go a little further and getting everyone what they needed, even if not all of what they wanted. She intended to run for a governorship after proving herself before getting accepted into a noble family as a retainer, where she would fight to get her own noble title.
For most, it was a long shot where they needed to beat the odds a dozen tis, but Aster never doubted that Caron could do it.
Caron must have said sothing to the others, as that weekend, everyone got together and they went on a picnic in the woods. Once there, they transford into their bloodline forms and just let loose.
Caron burned down a dozen trees, Juan crushed a dozen more with his large body, and Kelly flew around everyone like a hummingbird. The three lions mostly lazed about until Roody made a comnt about the won hunting for him, where they promptly jumped him and turned him into a pillow.
From the stupid grin on his face, that was his intention all along, and everyone knew it.
Aster stretched her legs before chasing Frank around with so spikes of ice and playing a sort of tag with him.
By the ti the sun set, they had settled in and watched a small fire die down after they had eaten far too many smores.
It had been a good day, and it reinforced to Aster that just because they were going to separate physically, they didnt have to lose their friendships. Not if they put in the work to keep each other involved.
And they had forever.
So what if they fell out of contact for a decade or two? It wouldnt be ideal, but their friendships could survive that.
Once things got back into the grind, Asters lancholy faded to a tolerable state, helped along by being able to talk to Fens bonds after the six-month mark.
It was fun being able to see their new bodies and new nas. Apparently, his bad naming sense had already faded to the point they were going by new unofficial nas, even in beast form.
Fen had taken their choice to rena themselves with grace, which Aster was happy with. Having t the man and forming a good impression of him, she would have been disappointed if he had shown any red flags.
Bow and Arrow had officially chosen the nas Boh and Arya, respectively, and Garnet had gone with Gavin. Ruby and Kenny on the other hand both chose to keep their original nas.
She did get to hear about the adventures, or rather misadventures, that Azure, June, and Barry got up to as the youngest bonds in Fen's little pack. June and Barry were a Shadow Sparrow and a Light Butterfly, respectively, and their clashing elents put them at friendly odds all the ti, forcing Azure to act as referee. Aster had needed to ask if Boh and Arya ant Azure stopped their bickering and fights, but no, Azure decided the winner of each bout, ga, or prank that one pulled on the other.
She was a little jealous after hearing about the things they got into thanks to having so many other bonds near their age around.
It sounded fun.
Boh and Arya, just like their younger siblings, were quite the handful, as they caused heartbreak anywhere they went with their propensity for flirting with everyone. The Student Council had to break up five fights in as many months because one of the wolves seduced soone who was in a relationship already. On the plus side, they had seemingly taken another Lightning Wolf nad Lydia under their wing, a girl who wore her trauma on her sleeve and had trouble making friends. Unfortunately, part of their improvised therapy included getting her to step out of her comfort zone which manifested as her choosing to ask out anyone who caught her eye. A decision that caused more than a few issues when she didnt show up to the date, or would teleport out halfway through.
That was starting to beco a pattern, and Aster wished the professors good luck in corralling the wolves in the coming years. That was exacerbated by the fact everyone and their mother wanted to court Azure. So people were apparently playing the long ga, and attempting to establish ties to Fens family long before Azure was ready to enter immortal society. There were a thousand and one noble families that had no bloodline, but would love to add one of the strongest Rank 2 bloodlines to their family. Not to ntion the million and one families who were willing to add a bit of dragon's blood into their own mix.
While the union between two bloodlines usually resulted in one or the other being the singular bloodline, there was an infinitesimal chance that the bloodlines would find harmony and beco their own stable bloodline. Dragon Turtles were one of the more famous examples, where they got most of the strengths of both bloodlines. Though the Dragon Turtles didnt get the natural Talent set about bloodlines that dragons got, they did get the increased essence needed to Tier up, which made them slightly stronger than average. Also, their bloodline Talent set was about defensive shields and reinforcent, making them stupidly tough.
Thanks to the Dragon Turtles, everyone wanted the chance to beco the founders of a new bloodline that was part dragon. As the days passed, she felt the pangs of sadness co back.
Thankfully, seniors had an abundance of free ti, and despite her duties on the Student Council, she had carved out ti to spend with her pod.
She had wanted to just go wander the city and do so shopping with Kelly, and the bird was always down to shop, which made it an easy go to activity for them.
Im going to miss you, Aster. Are you sure you cant convince Matt and Liz to co join us in the movie business? It will be fun. That's our goal after all. Not to make money, but to have fun.
Aster sighed. In other tis she would have kept a more happy appearance. but she just wasnt up to it today. I wish. but we have other responsibilities.
Finishing The Path.
With Matt marrying into royalty and Liz being part of the royalty, there are now a bunch of things that she wasnt doing while she was on The Path that we need to catch up on. And I can't just leave them to do it alone. You know how it is.
Kelly ruffled through so clothes with a little more force than was necessary. I know, but Im going to miss you.
Aster pulled the shorter girl into a hug from behind to earn a light elbow to the side. You are too damn tall, Aster. Why is a fox six feet tall?! Damn genetics.
Aster laughed as she blew a raspberry into Kellys feathers and got a light shock for her trouble.
Pulling away, Aster ruffled through a few more clothes and found one that she thought would match Kellys usual style.
Look at this one. A nice blue jean dress with jumpers. It's cute and fits the munchkin thing you have going on.
Munchkin thing?
Aster ignored the dangerous lilt to Kellys question. Yeah, being all of five foot nothing and all. It fits.
Kelly reached up and pulled Asters hair, causing her to yelp and hip bump the smaller girl into a rack of clothes where they started play fighting and laughing until the attendant cleared her throat.
Separating, Aster shoved the dress she had picked out back onto the rack, just to have Kelly pull it right back off with a humph.
It went onto the pile and they moved around until they each had two new outfits to get tailored to their exact sizes by the shop. The nice thing was that the dresses would make their way to their rooms within a week, so they didnt even need to co back. Being Tier 15 helped there, as their sizes could be scanned by their AI, and they would be able to skip the need to et with the tailor to get the clothes altered.
They ended their evening watching an up and coming chef put on a show at a decent restaurant before heading ho with so nice ice cream.
It was a nice ti and it reaffird their friendship, but it didnt solve the larger issue.
Their ti was running out.
All the tenth years seed to have a perpetual cloud of sadness around them as the year neared its finale.
As the elections ca in, Aster knew the Vice President position was dood, but couldn't do anything more than shrug. Her ti was over, and if the current students wanted an idiot to represent them, she had no control over that.
Kelly, Juan, Roody, and herself all made an effort to spend a lot of ti together, which was like a balm to her spirit. They talked about their plans and tried to workshop their ideas and point out pitfalls in each one, but they had done this for years, and it was simply old familiar ground. That didnt an they didnt enjoy it.
Aster was sad she had to lie to them, but knew they wouldnt hold it against her. Officially, she was joining Matt and Liz in being royal layabouts, but in reality, she had a Path to complete, and with Luna, she knew relaxation would be the last thing possible.
That said, she wanted to show them how much she had grown and see how much they grew.
Despite all their attempts, ti still passed. Even immortals couldnt stop ti, and even through all their efforts to keep things the sa, their final day at the academy ca. Aster stood with all the other bonds of her year in human forms in their formal robes in the greeting hall they had arrived in ten years ago.
She had to use her Concept to clear her watery eyes a half dozen tis during the ceremony, just from standing with the rest of her year, even before the Headmaster ca out.
Ahh. It feels like yesterday when I rember you all standing in front of in your beast forms. Now you are in your human forms and far more independent. You have had so fun in an environnt built for that, but you have transitioned into self-reliant adults who I am sure will go on to do great things.
Aster lost control over her tears but didnt really mind; everyone else was crying, so why shouldnt she join them?
Do not be sad. You may be scattered through the Empire, but as immortals, you have all the ti in the world. Travel. Delve. Get an office job. The Empire is your oyster, and you are now prepared to do whatever you want. But no matter what happens, I trust that you all will be successful. I know most of you are looking forward to returning to your humans, and I will not hold you up. Just rember that you are graduates of the Red Feather Bond Academy, and to do your best. I hereby pronounce you all graduates!
With that, everyone threw their caps into the air with a shout.
Aster grabbed one that fell into her hands and tucked it away like everyone else after reading the na. Wexter Harrow. She had never t him, but knew his na and of him. He had been active in a lot of the physical sports the Academy offered and was a cougar of so kind.
She wondered who had gotten her cap, but didnt have to look long as she felt a pair of familiar eyes bore a hole into her back. Caron stamped over to her in a huff.
Really? Out of everyone's caps, I get yours? Cant you just not interfere in my life once, Ice Pop?
Aster sniffled at Caron's pout, but was happy her cap went to her friend.
She tried to speak, but choked up and just pulled the dumb otter into a hug which lasted long enough that Juan, Roody, Kelly, the twins, and Katherine joined in.
Once they had a good cry, everyone changed out of their robes, and after a round of promises to keep in touch, they all boarded the shuttles that would take them to the space station where they would all take connecting flights back to wherever they called ho. She even had a small bag of rewards from graduation to look over on her trip back.
Aster looked out over the twinkling stars and lanted the passing of what was, but looked forward to what would be.
She would be able to join Matt and Liz on The Path, where they would all be able to advance to Tier 16, and before long, Tier 25.
War was on the horizon, even if everyone tried to ignore it or pretend it had nothing to do with them.
Light and Shadow were said to be almost at the peak of Tier 24, and the ambassadors of the other Great Powers would be declaring war the mont they finished The Path.
Scary tis were ahead, but Aster hardened her heart to it.
If she wanted the friends she had made at the Academy to be safe, she needed to do her part and keep them safe. And to do that, she needed to be the best fox she could be.
As the ship she was on warped into chaotic space, she smiled at her reflection.
She was ok with that.
For all that she had loved her ti away, her place was still with Matt and Liz. Pushing themselves every step of the way so when they joined the war, they could make a difference.
A journey was more than its starting or ending point.
It was a Path that was tread one step at a ti.
Just like life.
It lived one step at a ti.
She was just on her next step.
A step she couldn't wait for.
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