What would the childhood of the Daughter of Wantlessness look like?
Well, it was just as one might expect.
Aurora was far from a typical child. If one recalled, the first Primavus that Ash birthed in his inner cosmos were infants too, yet they were far more intelligent than any ordinary child.
Aurora was no differentâin fact she surpassed them all.
She was born as the embodiment of Melodic Genesis, a transcendent concept that emerged alongside her, existing only within Ashâs Lower Dimension. In other words, she broke and created rules effortlessly, without even tryingâliterally.
Born within the Multiversal Container, she remained completely untouched by the outside worldâs influence. With no defined power system, sheâlike the other Primavus who lived there before one was establishedâwas nothing more than a concentrated force of pure, raw power.
[A/N: Though the other Primavus had created a power system, itâs not Universal for Ashâs Lower Dimension.]
Before Aurora was even two weeks old, she was already talking, holding full conversations.
For Ash, it was unsettling at firstâhow strange would it be for a baby to speak as if she were a teen?
Even after living in this life for over 50,000 and having countless more years of knowledge, it still managed to catch him off guard. With intelligence far beyond what anyone expected, her childhood was bound to be more eventful.
Early on, Ash felt there was no need to pressure her into learning how to fight or surviveâat least, not for the moment.
For now, the Sacred Dimension was simply her playground.
---
One sunny afternoon, Auroraâlooking no more than five but speaking with the confidence of someone much olderâlaughed as she ran through a meadow of white grass that glittered like fresh snow beneath the warm golden light.
Summer strolled at her side, black silks drifting lazily, while Celeste hovered a few steps back, her golden blindfold catching the light. Yonna followed at the rear, her aura tamed to a playful breeze that sent gentle ripples through the grass.
Aurora spun around with arms outstretched, her silver-white dress swirling gracefully around her petite frame.
"Look! I made the grass sing!" she called out, her voice light and melodic.
The white blades swayed in perfect harmonyâeach stem bending to a silent rhythm, creating ripples of soft chimes that echoed across the field like distant bells.
Summer laughedâlow, laid-backâkneeling to run her fingers through the grass.
"Little one, youâre truly incredible, you know? Even without a rank, you can do things far beyond what most Cosmic Overlords are capable of."
The mention of Cosmic Overlords didnât surprise Aurora in the least.
Though no one had forced her to train, they had made sure she was well-informed.
Ash had taught her everything from simple skills like painting and calligraphy to complex concepts about the nature of the multiverse. Recognizing her intelligence beyond her years, he saw no need to coddle her too much, only stepping back if she showed little interest in a subject.
Celesteâs long, white-and-gold hair danced in the breeze.
"Fufufu, soon sheâll have entire universes singing."
âAnd not the inhabitants...â she mused with a slight shake of her head. She found herself captivated by Aurora in more ways than one.
Like Ash, she had no Fate, yet to Celeste she was Fatality... and her eyes and powers reached far beyond the bounds of mere destiny....
And at times, she caught fleeting glimpses of entire universes singing as Aurora painted.
Yonna grinned, crouching to scoop Aurora into her arms and give her a playful spin, the wind carrying them a few feet off the ground.
"Ha! Thatâs my girl. Next time, see if you can make them move like we do!"
Aurora giggled, her laughter bright and clear, tiny hands clutching Yonnaâs shoulders as they twirled.
"Okay, Mommy Yonna, but only if you promise to make me some sweets!"
----
Time in the Sacred Dimension moved at a steady rhythm, and with Aurora bringing her lighthearted joy to the family, days seemed to pass in a blur.
Ash made it his mission to teach her something new, no matter how smallâoffering bits of wisdom like telling her that knowledge is the key to all great things.
He would share stories of his adventures as she perched on his lap, her tiny fingers tracing the black-and-gold tattoos on his arms while her curious voice spilled endless questions.
"Daddy, do I have any other mothers I havenât met yet?" sheâd ask, eyes wide.
The question made Ash smile wryly at his daughter and wives. He had never lied to them.
"Well, there are a few. When youâre older, weâll take a look outside, okay?"
It was not that he had any worries of anything happening to her, he just wanted her to truly enjoy her childhood free of any outside taint. And not the taint from the Records of Eternity, but the kind that came from cultivators and other people.
Aurora was like her motherâsoft and sweet... well, she had her moments. Still, that was something Ash didnât want taken away from her.
---
Auroraâs time with Sonna was as one might expect.
Sonna showered her with endless love, and the atmosphere was always calm and peaceful.
She always had time to practice her harmonies, though it was never something they made her doâit was simply something she chose for herself.
In meadows of dancing daisies, mother and daughter lay on their backs, Sonna was humming while Aurora echoed the melody perfectly on her first try, her small voice blending with her motherâs until the flowers seemed to sway in rhythm.
"Little Rora, youâre almost better than me with these melodies," Sonna said with a smile, kissing her forehead.
Aurora giggled. "Hmph, I donât think so, Mother. Mommy Yonna told me you once sang an entire universe into submission!"
----
And so it wentâeach mother and companion leaving their mark in small, perfect moments.
For years, she lived much like any other kid, though her life was anything but ordinary. By the time she turned 18, she had grown into a striking young woman with a beauty that seemed to transcend time.
Her long white hair, streaked with pastel blue, was flawless and flowed past her waist.
Her alabaster skin shimmered in the sunlight, alive with shifting constellations. Her golden eyes, encircled by two black rings, held delicate black music symbols within.
Petite yet elegantly curved, she had, much like her mother, grown into a sweet and caring young womanâthough not entirely, as a bit of influence from the others had rubbed off on her too.
She stood in a wide field of white grass, soft as silk beneath her feet. Before her sat Ash, one knee propped up, his arm resting casually upon it.
Behind them, in the distance, stood everyone else, gathered for the moment Aurora would learn to fight for the first time.
"Daddy, why is everyone looking... so weird?" Aurora asked, twirling the hem of her dress.
Ash didnât need to glance back to know the expressions on their facesâhe was barely hiding his own. They were all thrilled for her to start her journey toward power, but Ash knew hers would be unlike any they had taken.
"My Rora, itâs because today is a bit special," he said as he rose to his feet. Taking her hand, he began to walk through the field.
"You remember all the stories Iâve told you growing up, right?" he asked.
"Hmm, are you talking about all the people you crushed? Or how you picked up all my mothers?" Aurora replied, trying to stifle her laughter.
She knew that wasnât what he meant, but she couldnât resist teasing him.
It was a habit sheâd picked up from a few of her mothers. Ash, of course, had shared stories that could fill lifetimes.
To Aurora, though, she was never quite sure if her father was simply trying to make himself sound tougher.
Ash gave a wry smile. "Tsk, which one of your mothers taught you to tease like this?"
"Hehe, Mother Nia... Elysia... Creara... Lithia... Sylvie... should I keep going?" she laughed, unable to contain herself.
âIs this how Kaelthyr felt...â he thought, resisting the urge to call Aurora a brat. With a sigh and a chuckle, he said,
"Rora, listen carefully," his layered voice lacking firmnessâhe could never be strict with his daughter or his women.
They were his soft spots in every sense, and though they loved to tease and push his buttons, he didnât truly mind.
"As I said a few years ago, beyond the Sacred Dimension lies a Lower Dimension, similar in many ways to the Sacred Dimension but home to hundreds of thousands of universes." He began once again to describe the world beyond.
Heâd told the tale countless times before, but this time his attention was fixed on its dangers.
[A/N: FYI, she hasnât left the Sacred Dimension at all, not even to visit the Originat Haven..]
It wasnât just about the Lower Dimensionâit included the Middle and whatever might follow.
He couldnât say what the distant future would bring, but he was determined to ensure no challenge would come that his loved ones couldnât overcome.
"So, you want me to learn to fight?" she asked, tilting her head. It was something sheâd never tried, but she didnât think it would be all that difficult.
"Exactly, but not just learning," Ash said, shaking his head. His daughter had a knack for picking things up far too easily.
"Youâll master the very essence of fighting, with and without your powers. Once we figure out exactly how strong you are, Iâll give you a few things, and weâll keep going until I think itâs good enough."
"Alright, but after this, promise youâll show me the outside multiverse!" she said with a grin that made Ash agree without hesitation.
How could he refuse?
He smiled, snapped his fingers, and a Golem appeared before them.
But this wasnât just any Golemâblack flames curled and twisted in the air as it emerged before Aurora and Ash.
Niaâs eyes narrowed, her expression turning icy.
"Ashy... why do I feel the presence of that damned vampire?"
Even after thousands of years, Niaâs hatred for vampires still burned strong, especially for one she could never forgetâVesper Nocturne, the one who had given the Originat their infamous Welcome to the Universe.
And now, here he was, embedded inside a Golem.